Way of Flowers (華道)
by Asterlily10
Summary: In a garden, a white aster was found. Soon after, different buds of flowers appear around the white aster. Above the garden, a rainbow could be seen. Everything was beautiful, until the buds bloomed into flowers of different colors, towering over the small white aster. {Set in Teikou} [Nijimura/OC/Akashi (could change in the future)]
1. Prologue

**Kuroko no Basuke belongs to Fujimaki** **Tadatoshi** **and co. only.**

 **The title of this story, 'Way of Flowers', came from the Japanese art of arranging flowers, Ikebana, which is also known as Kadō (華道 , 'way of flowers').**

 **This story is also divided into three parts, based on the three-stem system or elements of Kadō: _shin_ , _soe_ , _hikae_. ****Kadō will soon be shown in the future chapters.**

 **Part 1: _shin_ (真 , 'heaven') - the longest stem**

 **Part 2: _soe_ ****(副 , 'man') - the middle-length stem**

 **Part 3: _hikae_ ****(控 , 'earth') - the shortest stem**

* * *

 ** _"You got asters for today."_**

I am in a garden of asters- white asters.

White.

The garden is beautiful-as usual. I'm not sure how long have I been in this garden, but it seems like I've been here forever. The flowers seem to change every day-or was it every hour? I'm not so sure. It seems like time has stopped here. Am I dreaming? Is this what they call an eternal dream? Am I de-

No.

This must only be a dream because sometimes, I hear voices of people that seem familiar yet distant. Where are these voices coming from, anyway?

The flowers change and yet I remain. The colors around me change and yet I remain white.

Wait.

Colors?

I look up. I see a rainbow. Although I don't recall any rain, I feel something wet roll down my cheeks.

Wait.

Am I crying? Why?

 _ **A knock.**_

Where did it come from?

 _ **Bang.**_

Once, twice-

I run.

I search for the source of the noises. The noises intensify. The noises are like from a door being forcefully opened by someone.

Who? Where? Why?

As I chased the noises, the flowers change, and the colors change.

The rainbow fades and all I see is white, bright light.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hi everyone! This is my first fanfic so please bear with me.**

 **I got this idea way back in 2014 but I couldn't properly make a story due to school. Now that I'm better at managing my time (I hope so), I decided to finally work on it.**

 **This is just the prologue. I'll be uploading the first chapter later! [edit: already posted]**

 **Please look forward to it.**

 **Thanks!**


	2. 真: Chapter 1

A girl woke up in her room.

She checked the time ' _6:07 am'_ and realized she woke up around an hour before her alarm.

She sighed, but she didn't try to shut her eyes again. This was a rare moment. Besides, she doesn't really feel like going back to sleep, not after the bad dream she had about her favorite cartoon character transforming into a monster.

Nope, no thanks.

The girl got up and did some stretching exercises for the sole reason of becoming taller. She's not tall but she's not that short either. It's just that she has been surrounded by basketball players for the past weeks – months, even – so she wants to be a little bit taller. That and she's also interested in fashion, like her mother, and thus, she envies models who just look good at anything because of their seemingly perfect proportions. Now, that last part is a secret she would never admit.

In the end, she believes that her efforts will soon be rewarded. She's just 12 years old anyway and today marks her first day as a middle schooler.

She took a set of her uniform, neatly hanged inside her large closet. A smile formed on her lips as she remembered the day she finally decided to go to Teikou Junior High, but that is a story for another time.

After proceeding with her morning routine and changing into her uniform, she took one last look of herself and fixed her white knee-high socks and her wavy white hair that fell on her shoulders.

 _ **A knock.**_

"Tsu-chan?" a woman said.

"Yes" The girl, named Tsumiko, opened the door, revealing a beautiful older woman, who shared the same white hair as Tsumiko, but longer.

"I see someone's excited" the older woman teased, as she examined the younger girl.

"Well, I just happened to wake up early. Good morning mom" Tsumiko replied.

"Come on now, breakfast is ready" Tsumiko's mom named Eri, gently smiled.

Tsumiko got her bag and followed her mom, a former professional ballerina, who walked with graceful steps and perfect posture.

At the dining room, Tsumiko greeted her father, who was drinking his coffee. She then greeted their three helpers, who were busy serving plates of food at the table, and their butler, who took the already folded newspaper laid down in front of her father. Her father's driver, along with their family driver, were probably outside.

"Good morning Tsumiko-chan. I'll be driving you today" a male with black hair, named Irosuzuka Hiroshi, grinned at his daughter. The said daughter, however, just slightly glared at him, knowing that her father won't really drive her to school and understanding the implication behind his words.

"Dad, we already talked about this, right? Now that I'm in middle school, I believe I can go to school and come back home without a chauffeur. And yes, I'll be staying at school because of practice but I promise to let you all know." Tsumiko said, gesturing to everyone in the room.

She is very well aware of her family's status. Her father is the current head of the Irosuzuka family's shipping company. However, she doesn't want people to treat her differently just because of her family's status. That's why she's very thankful that her parents both didn't want to have a very lavish lifestyle. They tried to keep everything low-key and private. Their house in Tokyo was relatively big – yes – but it was no mansion. Tsumiko and her older brother, Yuuta, were lucky enough to be raised in a humble and warm home.

Hiroshi sighed but gave Tsumiko a look and said, "Okay. But I just want to remind you that we also agreed that you will be dropped off and picked up by Tanaka at a certain place" As if on cue, their family driver, Tanaka, arrived at the dining room and gave a little bow.

"Yes dad, but only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays" Tsumiko firmly said.

"And if you're planning to go home late due to extended club activities" Eri added

Tsumiko simply sighed in defeat, while her parents gave each other a satisfied smile.

"Now that everything's settled, I just want to say I can't believe you're already acting so grown up Tsu-chan" Eri wiped some pseudo-tears, before her eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh by the way, Hiro-kun, didn't you mention before that Seijuurou-kun will now be staying here, in Tokyo, and will be going to Teikou too?"

"Oh right! Masaomi did mention it before" Hiroshi replied excitedly. Meanwhile, Tsumiko is looking at her parents confusedly. As far as she knows, Masaomi is Akashi Masaomi, her father's close friend from business school. He is now the head of the Akashi group of companies.

'Seijuurou?' She did recall the name popping out in their conversations occasionally. 'Could he be-?'

"Oh, you guys mean Akashi-oujisama's son? The one that Yuuta-nii played basketball with when we were younger?" Tsumiko said, recalling her brother talking about playing basketball with a younger kid named Seijuurou, one summer during elementary. She remembered that she was in Kyoto that time, spending time with her grandparents. Her father was also in Kyoto visiting his close friend, Akashi Masaomi, and attending to some business matters. On the other hand, her mother stayed with her brother in Tokyo, since her brother had basketball trainings to attend to.

"No one else but him! This might be the time you two finally meet. It's such a shame that we never really got you guys to meet. It seems like fate finally gave you guys a chance." Eri squealed, while Hiroshi laughed.

Tsumiko shook her head at the obvious implication of her mother's words and chuckled lightly. It's like everyone in her family, especially her mom, seems to be fond of this Akashi Seijuurou.

"Well then, I'll be going now." Tsumiko kissed both her parents, waved goodbye, and got inside the black BMW car.

* * *

The car finally stopped at a spot close to the school but not close enough to be seen from the Teikou school gates.

"Thank you, Tanaka-san. I'll be contacting you after I'm done" Tsumiko said before walking to the school gates.

She enjoyed the breeze of April and the sight of falling cherry blossoms of spring. Cherry blossoms had always been one of her favorite flowers. They always look refreshing and free. However, before she could even further philosophize, a flyer was abruptly placed in front of her face, as soon as she stepped into the school gates.

"Hey first year. Join the basketball club."

Recognizing the voice, she looked up from the flyer to look at him.

Dark eyes stared on equally dark eyes.

White and black hair fluttered with the gentle breeze.

"No thanks, Nijimura-senpai. Are you really handling flyers?" With her eyebrows slightly raised, she smiled and pointed at his hand that held only one flyer.

"Of course not. Those brats can handle that." the boy pointed at the basketball club's booth before pushing her slightly to walk in that direction.

"I just happened to see you absentmindedly staring at the cherry blossoms, while walking, just like a shoujo manga character and I just had to remind you that you'll be officially stuck with brats from the basketball club, starting today. My sympathies, manager-san" Nijimura Shuuzou, a second-year and the basketball team's captain, did a little bow, in his attempt to be polite. But that mocking and sarcastic tone, and that smirk on his face were just ruining his attempt.

"Yes, captain-san" Tsumiko tried to match his smirk, in hopes to stop the blush creeping to her face, after being caught lost in her own world.

' _Why did it have to be him.'_ She thought. But at the same time, she was glad that he was the first person she saw as she stepped into the gates during her first day in middle school. God, she was definitely feeling like a shoujo manga character now. She was just feeling giddy, as if like she hadn't been with him for the past weeks.

The thing is that due to the head coach of the basketball team, along with the help of her older brother, who was the previous captain of Teikou basketball team, she started working as an unofficial manager of the Teikou basketball club after being accepted in Teikou during the break. Today marks her first day as the official manager of the team, and the start of her official training to be a coach. Due to her strategic mind, and observative nature, Teikou's head coach saw her talent and potential in being a coach and decided to let her be trained as a coach. However, since the team also needed an additional manager, the head coach decided that she'll be a temporary manager until other students apply for the position.

"Irosuzuka-chan!" "Irosuzuka-san!" "Manager-san" The basketball club members yelled and waved at Tsumiko, as she waved back.

"Do you already know your class, Irosuzuka?" one member asked. Dark eyes lit up in realization.

"Oh right. I haven't checked yet. I'll be going then. See you later!" Tsumiko then rushed to the board, not forgetting to look back at Nijimura, who only nodded at her. When she finally looked forward again, she bumped into someone.

"I apologize. I wasn't looking" Tsumiko bowed her head slightly then looked up but she didn't see anyone or anything.

"It's okay. I apologize too. I should also be more careful" a voice said.

Tsumiko blinked and she saw a faint color of baby blue. She blinked again and found that she was staring at blank baby blue eyes belonging to a boy with baby blue hair. He was holding a book. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in- preparing to apologize again. However, before she could even say anything, the boy was nowhere to be found.

' _Well that was weird'_ she thought before heading to the board.

There were a lot of people in front of the board and Tsumiko, not being that tall, couldn't see much. This is why she needed to do her stretching exercises.

"Dai-chan! What do you see? What's our class? Are we in the same class?" Next to Tsumiko was a pink-haired girl tugging at her friend. She was pretty, and a bit taller than her.

"Shut up Satsuki. I'm really trying here. Ughh" a tanned boy with dark blue hair groaned, while looking at the board.

' _He's actually tall'_. Tsumiko observed, as the boy effortlessly looked past the heads of other students ahead of them.

"Ah. Oh wait… I'm class 1-C and… ughh…you are also in class 1-C." The boy finally said.

"Yay! We're in the same class" the girl squealed and wrapped her arms around the boy's left arm. With this, Tsumiko had an idea.

"Um..excuse me? Pardon me for asking this but is it okay if I ask your friend to also look for my name. I can't really see anything from here." Tsumiko asked the pink-haired girl, who still clung to the boy. Fortunately, the girl seemed happy enough to help.

"Sure, what's your name?"

"Thank you. Irosuzuka Tsumiko."

The pink-haired girl then whispered something to the boy. Initially, the boy seemed to have a hesitant expression, but after some whispers later, the boy's expression changed to a better-looking one then he started searching the board. A few moments later, he looked at Tsumiko.

"Uh, you are in Class 1-A"

"Thank you very much!" She bowed to the two of them. However, before she could even ask their names, an announcement was heard all over, telling all first years to head to the gymnasium for the opening program. The boy then dragged the girl towards the gymnasium, without even saying goodbye, much to the protests of the girl. He was saying something about 'getting this over with' and that 'he can't wait till try-outs '. Tsumiko sighed and decided to walk towards the gymnasium as well.

On her way to the gymnasium, she was bumped by someone from the back. The impact caused her to trip and fall to the ground.

"Ahh I'm sorry." A blonde boy with a pretty face looked back at her for a second before running off towards the gymnasium again.

' _Sorry? His words don't match his actions.'_ Tsumiko got up and decided to go after the rude boy. However, before she could even shout a 'Hey' and call the said boy's attention, she was again bumped by someone – no not just someone – by a horde of screaming girls chasing the boy. Oh wow, what luck she has.

"Hey wait for us!" "He's so hot!" "We didn't even get his name" the girls exclaimed.

' _How could someone be so popular in the first day of school? Whatever.'_ Tsumiko wondered as she glared at the girls, while trying to get up. She then felt someone trying to help her up.

"Hey. You okay?" A boy, with hair that was slightly darker than her own, gently said, but she didn't miss the arrogant look on his face.

"Yes. Thank you." Tsumiko dusted off the dirt on her uniform and fixed her hair and gave the ash-haired boy a small smile.

' _This guy looks arrogant but he might actually be a gen-'_ However, before she could even finish the kind thought, the boy spoke.

"Wow what a shitty day for you. You just had to be bumped, not once, but twice huh? Well, I can't really blame them y'know since you're just tiny. Damn, I thought you were a babe, so I helped you. What a shitty day indeed" The boy rolled his eyes then walked somewhere that's not the gymnasium. She even noticed some girls' gazes of adoration following him.

That was it.

The girl was officially pissed and it hasn't been half a day yet. She was always being interrupted before she could do anything and even before she could finish her own thoughts. Also, the fact that the boy looked at her chest while saying the word 'tiny' was something she is still trying to absorb. She's just 12, for pete's sake, though, the memory of the pink-haired girl wasn't helping her case.

Maybe she's just a late bloomer – yes, a late bloomer – that's exactly it.

Since she was really pissed, she just wanted the opening ceremony to end. To calm herself, she decided to think about the basketball team, and of course, that includes Nijimura. Her mind was fleeting on what training regimen should be the best for the week. She was also excited meeting the people who signed up, hoping that there will be promising newbies. Oh, how much she looks forward to the try-outs, just like that tan boy. She was too deep in her thoughts that she didn't realize that the top of their batch was already giving his speech. Heck – she didn't even see the person's face nor hear the person's name.

After the opening ceremony, the first-year students went to their respective classrooms. The white-haired first year decided to go to the restroom first to properly fix herself since she fell to the ground twice this morning. Luckily, she didn't injure herself. Despite this, she still swore to get back at the blondie – in the most elegant way, of course.

No. Actually, screw that.

Her fall to the ground was not elegant so it should be fair that she won't treat him elegantly too, yes? She's being childish, she knows, but hey, she's just 12.

Now this thought triggered a memory of a certain ash-haired guy. She'll need to do something about both blondie and ashy.

Petty? Yes.

Did she care? Not anymore.

As she exited the restroom, someone exited the boy's restroom at the same time. She was now face-to-face, no wait, she was now face-to-chest or was it face-to-abdomen, with a very tall person. The tall person seemed to notice that Tsumiko was frozen on her spot.

"Hmm. Why are you just standing there?" he lazily asked. Tsumiko takes this as a chance to look up at the guy, who has long purple hair.

' _How could a 12-year-old be this tall?'_

He was probably a first year like her since this floor only held the first-year classrooms.

"You're so small." He said, while literally looking down on her. However, before she could even childishly say 'You're just tall', the boy already walked away.

' _Why am I always being interrupted today? Besides, I'm not that short and I'm just 12'_ she thought, however, right now, her thought really didn't sound convincing –even to herself – because of the existence of that 12-year-old giant.

Finally, she reached her classroom, 1-A. She looked around and saw some empty seats left. Some of the students were already huddled in groups and chatting, while some were just quietly seated. She saw very few familiar faces from her elementary school huddled in a group. They then smiled at her. She smiled back, however, she noticed that most of the seats around them were already taken. Luckily, she saw a green-haired boy with glasses seating few seats away from the group. He appeared to be quiet, so she decided to take the empty seat next to his.

The boy noticed her, but he didn't show it.

"Hello, I'm Irosuzuka Tsumiko" she said in a low voice, hoping that he would be able to hear her and to not hear her at the same time, because as much as she wants to be friendly, she also didn't want to bother anyone if they were busy. In this case, the boy seemed to not be looking anywhere but the large book on his desk, so Tsumiko wasn't sure if he was busy or not.

The boy didn't answer. However, before Tsumiko could convince herself that the boy probably didn't intentionally ignore her and that he probably just didn't hear her, the boy answered.

"Midorima Shintarou"

Tsumiko didn't really care that she was interrupted again because right now, she felt happy. She turned towards her neighbor, only to see him looking at her too.

Finally getting a better view of her seatmate, she stared beneath his glasses as she mused, ' _His lashes are long'_

"What?" He now glared at her.

A bit flustered, she quickly made an excuse and said "Pardon. Um, I was just curious about um.. the book on your desk." Her gaze fell on the book and her eyes immediately lit up in realization "Wait is that a phone book?" She asked while staring at the said phone book.

"Cancers are ranked fourth today. Oha-asa said that this phone book is my lucky item for today." He said without even flinching. He then paused for a while before asking, "What is your zodiac sign?"

Too bewildered by the information the boy shared and by the odd way the boy spoke, she automatically responded "Oh. I'm a Pisces." Midorima flinched a little at that, and Tsumiko didn't fail to notice this.

"What did Oha-asa say about Pisces?" As she recalled the foreign word 'Oha-asa', Tsumiko asked, wanting to extend the conversation. Well, to be honest, she's also curious about her luck for today because so far, she wasn't really feeling lucky.

"Pisces is ranked first today. Your lucky item is a tennis ball" He answered, while pushing his glasses up.

' _First? Really? Maybe I could've used the tennis ball by throwing it at blondie and his fans'_ Tsumiko wildly thought.

She then thanked Midorima for the information and Midorima simply replied with a nod and looked away, making Tsumiko conclude that their conversation was over. With that, she looked forward and saw red.

' _Aka'_

A certain memory flashed in her mind. It was when she was younger. It was at someone's wake. Was it two years ago?

Her eyes were attracted to the color red, which was similar to what she's seeing now. As far as she remembered, that red happened to be a red-haired boy around her age. In that memory, she could only see the back of his head, but she knew that he was sad. She recalled that from what she was told, the boy had just lost his mother, so of course, she didn't need to see his face to know that he's sad-very sad.

' _Aka..shi'_ she recalled. However, before she could even realize that she actually said that out-loud, that said 'Akashi' already turned to look at her.

Dark eyes met red eyes.

"Yes?" the boy asked with a polite smile.

 _ **Oh my God.**_

Tsumiko just didn't know how to respond. She was just caught staring and this guy probably thinks she's some stalker because it appeared that she happens to know his name.

' _No way his name is Akashi. But it could really be him'_ Tsumiko's thoughts were now racing. So much for Pisces being in first place. How unlucky can she even be today?

She even called him informally, if he really was Akashi. Right now, she probably looked like a startled shoujo manga character, just like what Nijimura said. Nope, thinking about Nijimura didn't really help, since she felt the blush spreading even more quickly.

When Akashi heard his name from a girl that he didn't remember meeting before, Akashi was a bit surprised-yes, but unlike the startled girl, he was more composed to think. Alas, he was definitely clever enough to hypothesize who this girl was.

"Irosuzuka-san?" he asked, but he already knew he was right.

He recalled the head of the Irosuzuka group telling him during a party last year, that his daughter will be attending Teikou. His own father even mentioned that fact, one time. He remembered that, of course, since it was one of the rare moments his father talked about things other than his studies and bringing honor to the Akashi's name.

White.

It was the white wavy tresses that gave her identity away.

The moment he voiced her name, Tsumiko gave up. She couldn't fight the blush anymore. Somehow, the red tint that dominated her face matched her white locks. She refused to look at him, as she slowly nodded.

"Aka" Akashi mimicked.

She wasn't sure if she heard right, so she met his red gaze to confirm her suspicions and well, yes, she heard right, and she knew.

He was teasing her.

He was looking at her innocently, but she knows that he knows that she knows that he was referring to her stupid red face.

"Baka"

Ah.

It was about time.

She finally released her 12-year-old self.

With this, the boy chuckled lightly, and the girl couldn't help but laugh a little as well at her own childish remark – which, by the way, was perfectly normal for their age.

"Nice to meet you too Irosuzuka-san. Akashi Seijuurou" he extended his hand – something that children their age wouldn't normally do.

Shaking hands with the boy, she politely replied, "Irosuzuka Tsumiko. We finally met, Akashi-san." The two shared a knowing smile, both thinking how weird it was that they've never met each other, when each of them had already met the other's family at some point.

Their thoughts were interrupted when the bell rang, signaling that class was about to start. Akashi gave her one small smile before turning to the front, where their homeroom teacher stood. A certain green-haired boy also turned his attention to the teacher, hoping that the two classmates on his left hadn't noticed him.

No, he wasn't eavesdropping. They just happened to be noisy.

Yes – noisy.

It wasn't like he was interested in them, not even after realizing that he had seen the names 'Irosuzuka' and 'Akashi' somewhere before.

Nope. He was just curious.

After all, Cancers and Pisces have actually good compatibility so it's only natural if he's curious. Now that he thinks about it, Oha-asa did say something about Pisces having a fated encounter. Oh well, it's not like he cares or anything.

At his left, a certain white-haired girl also had her mind occupied.

' _What a shitty day indeed'_ Tsumiko echoed the same words of the ash-haired boy, while recalling all the weird encounters she had today.

For some reason, she was reminded of flowers as she smiled to herself, _'But it is a colorful day'_

She looked forward to club activities.

* * *

Now, nobody was really sure if this happened. Nobody had proof about it, but, at that certain moment of that day, some people unknowingly entered a door. Legends have it that all of those people heard a door being shut behind them.

Above a garden of _**flowers**_ , a **rainbow** was formed.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Here's the first chapter!**

 **Such a colorful day for Tsumiko, isn't it? (That luck tho... lol)**

 **How was it? Reviews are appreciated.**

 **Thanks~**


	3. 真: Chapter 2

**A/N:**

 **Hello!**

 **I got the name 'Irosuzuka' from the Japanese word for 'color', 色 : 'iro'** **Apparently, the word** **色 : 'iro' could be used in other words or phrases, which could not necessarily be related to 'color.'**

 **Weeelll, that's all for my babbling.**

 **Here's the second chapter. Enjoy~**

* * *

The bell rang.

Classes for the first day of school were finally over. With this, Tsumiko quickly packed her stuff and went straight ahead to the gymnasium, not after bowing slightly to her seatmates, including Midorima and Akashi. Midorima pretended not to notice her and just packed his things. Akashi, on the other hand, offered the girl the same polite smile he gave her when their eyes first met.

The red-head already had an idea on why the girl was such in a hurry. He recalled that the head of the Irosuzuka group did mention how his children liked basketball. He had seen the older brother's fondness and skills himself. However, he had only heard about the sister's talent in strategy-making, so he was a bit curious on how she would perform on the women's basketball team.

That was when he realized that Teikou didn't have a women's basketball team. Pausing for a while, he shook his head, dismissing his own thoughts. He decided to just focus on packing his belongings because he needed to hurry to the gymnasium as well.

Tsumiko headed straight to the changing rooms to change into a shirt, shorts and rubber shoes, and to tie her hair up. No, she's not going to play basketball. To be honest, her skills are pretty average or worse. She could only perform the basics and she only knew the advanced stuff in theory and in video games.

So why the outfit?

Well, even if she's a temporary manager, she's also being trained to be a coach and part of the training requires her to test the training regimens she had prepared. With this, she needs to do some of the exercises too. That, and she also cares about dressing appropriately, which was one of the things she had learned from her mother.

As soon as she reached the courts, she saw the captain leading the members. Some new faces were also present at one corner.

"Irosuzuka" a man with glasses approached her.

"Yes, Coach Sanada?" Tsumiko turned to the older man, Sanada Naoto, one of the coaches of the club.

"It seems like a lot of those who signed-up haven't arrived yet. With that, let us first check on the students applying as the manager." Coach Sanada said, as he guided her to a corner where few students were gathered. No one looked familiar to her, but one person stood out.

It was that girl.

Coach Sanada introduced himself then he turned to Tsumiko, signaling her to also introduce herself.

"Hello. I am Irosuzuka Tsumiko, a first-year, and I am currently the manager of the first-string since the previous one had already graduated." She bowed then looked at the pink-haired girl and gave her a small smile. Although the pink-haired girl was shocked with the newfound information, she returned the smile.

"Irosuzuka, here, is just a temporary manager. She was already accepted to the team weeks prior today. That is because, the head coach had already seen her potential. She is also currently being trained to be a coach. Once she proves herself, she will be focused on being a coach. With that, we will be needing more managers for all the strings." Coach Sanada explained. "Well, go ahead and introduce yourselves"

The pink-haired girl's name was Momoi Satsuki and apparently, she was introduced to basketball by her childhood friend. She seemed to be knowledgeable about the sport and Coach Sanada noticed that too, because Momoi was one of those who were accepted as managers.

Afterwards, Nijimura went to their side and informed them that it seemed like there were already many applicants present, and that the try-outs could start. With this, the coach dismissed the managers, reminding them that tomorrow is the day they officially start.

Tsumiko was shocked.

She had already expected to see the childhood friend of Momoi, 'Dai-chan', among the large crowd of applicants, but she did not expect to see three more familiar faces. Now that she had thought about it, Akashi being there made sense, no – actually, after looking at the heights and built of both Midorima and the purple-haired boy, them being there also made sense.

The second-year captain noticed the white-haired girl beside him feeling tense so he put a hand on her shoulder, nudging her to introduce herself.

After introducing herself as their temporary manager and an aspiring coach, she looked at their reactions. Akashi didn't seem to be surprised, whereas Midorima was looking away and pushing his glasses up. 'Dai-chan' had a brief flash of recognition on his face, whereas, the purple boy didn't even change his disinterested expression.

When he heard her name, the tan boy remembered her, but he was also pumped-up enough to play basketball to even care.

The purple giant didn't care who the girl was in the first place.

The roll call started, and Tsumiko finally learned their names. The real name of 'Dai-chan' is Aomine Daiki. The purple giant is called Murasakibara Atsushi.

"Kuroko Tetsuya" the captain's voice echoed within the gymnasium.

No answer.

"Kuroko Tetsuya" he tried again, but still, there was no answer, so he crossed the name out. Some brat was probably pranking on them, or some brat probably chickened out.

The silver-haired girl watched Nijimura irritably cross the name out and she felt something wasn't right, but she dismissed it as her own nerves playing with her.

While everyone was getting ready for the try-outs, Tsumiko went to one side to observe. Suddenly, she felt a presence beside her, but oddly enough, there was no one there.

"Um, excuse me?"

Tsumiko turned to her right but again, no one was there. She probably heard wrong.

"Manager-san?"

 _ **Déjà vu.**_

"Irosuzuka-san?"

Tsumiko blinked twice towards her right side and that's when she saw the same teal eyes from the same teal-haired boy he bumped into this morning. Surprisingly enough, she was not surprised enough to jump away. Scratch that – she was too surprised to even dare move an inch.

' _What is with this guy?'_ She thought, not really knowing what to say to the guy.

Seeing that the manager had already noticed him, the boy continued speaking.

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. It seemed like no one heard me respond when the captain called my name." he sighed. "So, I just want to ask if I can still participate in the try-outs?" he asked, staring straight at her dark eyes.

"Kuroko Tetsuya" Tsumiko repeated, finally recalling the name. She knew something wasn't right.

Looking at him apologetically, she said "I'm so sorry. I will inform the coach right away"

She jogged towards Coach Sanada and explained the situation. It took some time before Coach Sanada sensed Kuroko and allowed him to participate. It was also around this time that she noticed the head coach, Shirogane Kouzou, observing from the stands.

After the try-outs and the deliberation of the coaches, Coach Sanada announced who belonged to the first, second and third string, respectively. To everyone's surprise, four first-years were selected to be part of the first string.

Tsumiko was stunned for the nth time of that day because it just had to be those four – Akashi, Midorima, Aomine, and Murasakibara. It was as if fate was playing with her. Should she tune in to Oha-asa now?

Kuroko, on the other hand, was placed to the third string due to his weak presence. She actually felt bad for the guy.

A single clap echoed within the gymnasium and everyone turned their heads towards the source.

"Alright. Congratulations to everyone." Everyone stopped and looked at the head coach Shirogane, who watched them from the stands. "I would just like to make an announcement concerning our dear manager here", the older coach said as he gestured towards Tsumiko.

"Irosuzuka, as part of your training, I'm officially appointing you to be a coach of the third string. Of course, you will be guided, and I still expect that you will work as a manager for the first string. That's all." The people around her applauded and Tsumiko bowed at the sudden attention. She was pleased – really – but at the same time, she was feeling anxious. She was aware of the workload and she's not really sure if Coach Shirogane was being kind or evil right now.

Feeling someone's hand ruffling her hair, she raised her head, only to be met by the proud smile of the owner of the hand, who was no other than Nijimura.

She felt butterflies in her stomach.

It's probably the anxiety – yes, the anxiety.

* * *

Everyone was dismissed after the try-outs, except for Tsumiko, who found herself inside Coach Shirogane's office, as the head coach was explaining her training process.

"Irosuzuka, I want you to look after the third string for now. Once in every week, we will be assessing you through practice matches to decide if you are ready to handle the second-string members. Of course, this is also necessary to assess the players. Next, we will do the same when you reach the second-string, until you are qualified for the first-string." He paused for a while.

"I want you to focus more on your training as a coach. I know I said that I expect you to still work as one of the managers of the first string, but that is because I want you to be familiar with them, especially those four first-years. I believe that with your potential and dedication, you will work with the first-string soon" the head coach confidently said.

"Besides, I learned that you're classmates with two of the first-years, so I guess that's a great start." He finished with a genuine smile.

"Thank you, coach. I will do my best." Tsumiko bowed before leaving the office.

* * *

To say that she was tired was an understatement.

She didn't move as much as the guys who participated in the try-outs, but she was exhausted. This day was just too long for her.

It was just too long and tiring that she didn't even bother to feel giddy when she saw a certain raven-haired captain leaning on a wall outside the coach's office.

Nijimura sensed her exhaustion and simply walked beside her without saying a thing. He watched her read a message from her phone and type in a reply. Being the great senpai that he is, he firmly decided that his questions could be saved for another day.

"How was your first day as a middle schooler?"

 _ **Idiot.**_

He is such an idiot.

Well, he can't help it. This was the only time he can ask that question.

"I mean, outside basketball" he clarified, after receiving no response from the white-haired first-year.

"It was…colorful" she finally spoke.

 _ **Fuck.**_

He regretted asking that question. He should have just followed his own decision that questions could be saved later because this girl is currently not okay.

Great senpai, his _**ass**_.

A certain former senpai of his, namely Irosuzuka Yuuta, who could also be a bit of an asshole, would probably not be happy in knowing that his dear sister lost her insanity during her first day of middle school, and the trigger was a fucking question by the one and only idiot, Nijimuro Shuuzou.

When he didn't reply, she continued, while crinkling her brows very slightly, "This morning, after meeting you, I kind of had encounters with some people today and I even met some of them during the try-outs. Well, you could already guess that two of them were my classmates, Akashi-san and Midorima-san. The others were Aomine-san, Momoi-san, Murasakibara-san, and even Kuroko-san. It's just so strange." She ended with a light chuckle.

The black-haired second-year saw her more relaxed expression and was relieved that she was still thankfully sane, and that his stupid ass had just been spared.

"No shit, it is. Though, those kids somehow give me the creeps a little" He heard her giggle a bit at his remark, but seriously, how could those brats even immediately qualify in the first-string? Well, he was the same last year, but still, four first-years? He scowled at these thoughts.

"Oh by the way, Akashi-san is also the son of my dad's close friend. It's funny that we only met today. I mean, Yuuta-nii even played basketball with him one summer, few years ago." Tsumiko added. His eyebrows furrowed, and his scowl deepen at this information.

"Oh? He did?" He stopped himself from imagining a younger version of his former captain – that bastard – playing with a younger version of the Akashi kid. "Wait, he's in Kanagawa now, right?"

"Yup, in Kaijou High. He was allowed on staying inside the dorms, with the condition that he'll come home during the weekends from time to time. He's also being trained in the business field at the company's branch in Kanagawa. He still plays basketball, but he said that he doesn't plan to be the captain anymore due to the workload" she fully informed. It was a good thing that her brother seemed to have a natural talent in business. Also, since he enjoys it, he doesn't really have a problem on being the heir to the Irosuzuka group.

"The Kaijou team should rejoice for not having a captain like him" the Teikou basketball team captain scoffed.

"The Teikou team graves, then" the Teikou basketball team manager/coach-in-training dramatically sighed.

Before the raven-haired boy could even retaliate, the silver-haired girl ran towards a black car. He didn't even notice they were already outside the school gates.

Black and white locks fluttered along with the pink blossoms of spring, as the gentle breeze of April hummed a soft tune.

"Bye captain-san." she waved while smiling at him teasingly.

He simply scowled at her but nonetheless, he waved back.

After all, the cherry blossoms seemed to be falling _extra_ prettily today.

 _ **Idiot.**_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **She now knows the others' names...except for blondie and ashy...hmm who could they be? (lol)**

 **I don't want to make it easy for Tsumiko, so she needs to start from the bottom (sorry my dear ;A;) and yes, her brother is in Kaijou! and is Niji's former senpai/captain! .o.**

 **What do you guys think about Tsumiko, so far? How about her moments with Niji? Please l** **et me know~~**

 **Thanks!**


	4. 真: Chapter 3

**A/N:**

 **Hi!**

 **Thank you for the follows! ;A; I honestly didn't expect to get a single one T-T (ugh s** **orry for being dramatic lol)**

 **I know the romance could be a bit slow, sorry :(**

 **Please understand that** **I'm also trying to build her relationships with the others and to show her growth as a coach.**

 **Anyway, here it is~**

* * *

A certain girl woke up in her room

 _ **Yes!**_

She woke up just in time for the morning practice. Since the morning practice was for first-string members, she will be their manager. After classes, she will be the coach for the third string.

Yesterday was tiring, not to mention her mother kept bugging her to invite 'Seijuurou-kun' to dinner after learning that the she had already met the boy and that he was even in the same class and club as her. Tsumiko just kept on saying 'we aren't even that close yet.' The older woman was still not contented with her teasing, but since her daughter looked so tired, she decided to let it go for now.

Thanks to a good night sleep, she felt refreshed and energized.

When she arrived at the gymnasium, almost everyone was present already. She even saw some of the new managers, including Momoi. Being the sole first-string manager with experience, she approached them and taught them.

She was leading the managers, and on the other hand, the second-year captain was leading the practice.

Not forgetting Coach Shirogane's orders to observe the first-string players, especially the four first-years, she noted that Akashi was really good at handling and passing the ball. Midorima's shooting form was noteworthy. He almost always shoots once he has the ball, and rarely misses, but when he did miss one shot, he started being hesitant. Murasakibara, thanks to his height, could block shots. However, he was moving lazily and was having trouble against very agile players, like a certain blue-haired first-year.

Ah, Aomine.

Aomine was the most skilled among the four. He probably carries the most potential among them.

She was amazed on how freely he moves and how much fun he seems to be having. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the tan boy naturally move around the court, with both a relaxed and a predatory expression on his face, as if it the court was his home to belong in and his territory to protect.

"How long has Aomine-san been playing?" Tsumiko turned to the pink-haired girl, who lit up to the white-haired girl's question.

"I'm not so sure when exactly. All I know is that he has always been holding a basketball ever since we were little" Momoi smiled softly, as she reminisced her childhood mostly spent with the tan boy.

"He just looks so happy" Tsumiko remarked, as she tracked the boy at the court.

"Yeah. All he cares about is basketball. He's such a basketball idiot"

The two girls chuckled at this.

* * *

When morning practice ended, they all changed into their school uniforms.

"Oi Satsuki, why aren't we going yet?" Aomine impatiently asked.

His friend was being weird, usually she was the one bugging him to hurry up and go to class. Well, not that he cared about being late, but he just didn't understand why they were just dumbly standing in front of the changing rooms. Heck – the other first-years had already left for their classrooms.

"Dai-chan, let's just wait for a little while" Momoi replied while looking expectantly at the changing rooms. She just couldn't let this opportunity pass. She didn't have much female friends before and she thought that their white-haired manager seemed to be nice. A minute later, she saw the said manager exit the changing rooms.

"Irosuzuka-san!" Momoi exclaimed at her, to which Tsumiko reacted with a confused look.

The tan boy seemed to catch on his childhood friend's plans, so he grinned at the white-haired manager "Yo, Irosuzuka!"

"Momoi-san, Aomine-san." She gave them both a warm smile, not really expecting them to wait for her. But she also recalled that they were also kind enough to help her find her class yesterday.

* * *

Blue, pink and white walked together.

"Oh oh, do you wanna know what I told Dai- Aomine-kun to convince him to find your name on the board?" Tsumiko noticed that the pink-haired girl still struggled in changing the way she called her childhood friend. Earlier, Tsumiko said she didn't mind Momoi calling him 'Dai-chan' but Momoi insisted, reasoning out that she needs to get used in calling him 'Aomine-kun' or else people will talk.

"Oi Satsuki!"

On the other hand, 'Dai-chan' doesn't seem to mind letting people know about their closeness.

"Well, if you guys don't mind" Tsumiko replied with a shrug.

"You see, I promised to accompany him this Saturday to look for basketball shoes. He's been talking about it for days now. I told you, he's such a basketball idiot" the pinkette said, ignoring the protests of her bluenette friend, such as 'Hey! I do mind!' and 'What ya talking 'bout? Don't make it look like I didn't want to help her.'

In the end, he simply groaned in defeat. At the sight of the two childhood friends, the shorter girl let out a giggle.

* * *

During lunch break, some of her friends from elementary invited her to join them. Thinking that this would be an opportunity to get closer to them –especially since her closest friend from elementary, Igarashi Sena, had migrated to London due to her father's job – she agreed.

"Irosuzuka-chan, I heard from a friend, who applied for the basketball team, that four first-years made it to the first-string. Is that true?" The girl across her with a ribbon on top of her long black hair, Mizuki Kyoko, asked, after the white-haired girl informed them of her position in the basketball team.

"Yes, everyone was surprised. The two of them are actually from our class, Akashi-san and Midorima-san." Tsumiko answered, before biting into an egg roll.

"Akashi? The top of our batch? Wow, so he seems to be great at everything. Well, Midorima is actually tall." The other girl with a brown bob, Chitose Nao, considered with a shrug.

Tsumiko slowly nodded, trying to hide her shame for not knowing who the top of their batch. She couldn't let them know that she wasn't paying attention during the opening ceremony.

It didn't really help that _that_ person is the very person who sits in front of her.

She heard that the Akashi heir was smart, based from the times that the name 'Seijuurou-kun' was brought up in some of her family's conversations, but she didn't expect him to be that smart and that talented in basketball. When she had met the head of the Akashi group, she did deem him to be the perfectionist type, so maybe his son was the same.

"Hey, but isn't it funny that you three are in the same class and club? When I told my mom about my classmates yesterday, she said that both the Akashi group and Irosuzuka group have large shares in Kenko Medical Center wherein Midorima's dad is the hospital director. It must be fate." Mizuki prattled.

The Irosuzuka daughter stopped chewing her food for a while, at another new information. The girl across her noticed this, so she also stopped eating and asked, "You didn't know?"

Yes, she didn't know.

Why, it's only normal for a middle-schooler, specifically a 12-year-old, not to know things like that.

Except, of course, for one Mizuki Kyoko.

Tsumiko gulped down her food before saying "I didn't know about Midorima-san's dad"

The black-haired girl simply nodded and continued eating her food. The silver-haired girl did the same while remembering that Mizuki's mom works under the Chief Finance Officer or CFO of the corporation that owns the medical center, so it was no wonder she knew such things –which were confidential things, by the way, but oh well, they're just middle-schoolers.

Mizuki seemed to have inherited her mom's interest in finance and business, so it was also not surprising that she joined the entrepreneurship club. On the other hand, the brown-haired girl with them was good at designing and building props, so she became part of the drama club –much to the surprise of others, not really expecting anything from the girl who was sometimes stoic.

It was just last year, when she became classmates with the two other girls. Her fellow 6th grader, Mizuki, approached her and her first question was if she is the daughter of the Irosuzuka chairman. Naturally, the question caught her off guard, but thankfully, another 6th grader called Chitose clarified things. Although they were all friendly among each other, they didn't really become that close since Mizuki already had her own group of friends, which includes Chitose, while Tsumiko mostly hung out with her closest friend, Igarashi.

After eating her lunch, Tsumiko excused herself to go back to her seat, saying that she needs to fix her notes from their previous class. A few minutes later, her green-haired neighbor came back to the classroom, sat down next to her, and read a book.

He saw in his peripheral view that the white-haired girl stopped writing on her notebook and was looking at his direction, but he simply ignored this. However, when he noticed that the girl was still looking at him, he sighed and asked "What?", without removing his eyes from the book, of course.

Embarrassed at being caught staring, she started saying "Uh. Um I-", hesitating a bit before continuing, "I learned from a friend that your father is the director at Kenko Medical Center..and uh, my dad's company has some..um ", voice getting quieter with every word.

Tsumiko really didn't know what she was getting to. Normally, she wouldn't talk about her dad and the company, so what was she even doing now?

Of course, what the 12-year-old wanted to do was to be friendly and to start a conversation with a potential friend.

Still pretending to read his book he replied "So? What about it?"

He already knew from yesterday that she was the daughter of the Irosuzuka group head and the red-haired boy was the son of the Akashi group head. It wasn't like he was particularly interested in business to know about these details. He just happened to see a document, containing a list of shareholders, on his father's study, when he was once snooping –no – looking over his father's medical books.

A bit disheartened at the display of his disinterest, she was about to say 'nothing' and 'nevermind' when she thought about something.

"My friend just thought that it must be _fate_ " she said, putting full emphasis on the word 'fate'.

Hearing the word 'fate', the green-haired boy turned towards her.

 _ **Yes!**_

Tsumiko gave herself a mental high-five when the boy matter-of-factly replied "Well, fate is indeed interesting. I believe in it. Therefore, I always bring my lucky item for the day, which, by the way, is a hair brush.", pointing to the hair brush neatly placed on his desk.

To keep the conversation going, she was about to ask about her lucky item for the day when the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. The bespectacled boy looked back to his book before placing it inside his bag. The girl then faced front and she was greeted with a sight of red.

Ah, because of her conversation with the boy on her right, she didn't even notice that Akashi was back.

* * *

"Kuroko Tetsuya"

The manager/coach-in-training called out, as she was currently in the middle of checking the attendance of the third-string members. When she received no response, she finally realized that it was that boy from yesterday. Thus, she repeated the name and looked very hard everywhere, like a hawk hunting its prey, until she saw a pale hand raised, and that's when she heard his soft voice saying "Here."

 _ **Yes!**_

Feeling satisfied with this achievement of hers, she nodded at him, and in return, he gave her a slight smile.

To observe and assess their individual skills, she let them have practice matches, with the approval of the third-string coach, Matsuoka Daigo. She then asked all of them to do the basic training exercises, thinking about the possible training regimens for each of them, especially for a certain teal-haired guy. After assessing Kuroko's skills, she planned to give him a strict training regimen, but after seeing him throw up sparkly rainbow things at one point, she decided that maybe she could take it a bit easier on the poor boy's training regimen.

' _Besides, he seems to be really passionate about basketball.'_ She mentally noted.

Noticing that several members were exhausted, she was given permission by Coach Matsuoka to end the practice a bit earlier.

It took some time of arguing herself before the voice of friendships-and-something-more won, causing her to decide to pass by the first-string gym to say goodbye to Nijimura and the others.

After learning that she would be walking alone, the said captain asked her if she wanted to wait for a bit, so he can walk her home. They were about to end the practice anyway.

The white-haired girl felt warm and actually considered the suggestion, but the voice of conscience toppled over others, as she didn't want to bother him since her house was out of his way home. Despite assuring him that she'll be fine, the older boy still threatened her to go home straight away and to make sure to arrive home safely, without forgetting to tell her to text him when she got home.

She then gave a one last 'bye' before rushing towards the gym's entrance, ignoring the snickers of some second and third years, who were eavesdropping on their conversation. As soon as she got out of the gym, she heard some curses and threats from a certain captain, followed by whines and cries for help, probably from those second and third years.

The voice of friendships-and-something-more giggled at this.

"Coach" a voice that was certainly not the voice of friendships-and-something-more nor the voice of conscience was heard.

The said coach yelped and jumped to her side and saw a slightly taller boy beside her.

"Kuroko-san! Since when?" she asked, trying to calm herself.

"I followed you to the first-string gym because I wanted to ask you something" he nonchalantly said, as if the situation was just so normal.

Well, it _was_ normal for him.

He then began walking towards the gate. The girl, who was still recovering from the shock, followed behind him, tracing back on his words.

' _Wait. Gym?_ ' Tsumiko panicked at this thought

"Kuroko-san, were you also inside the first-string gym?"

With his usual stoic expression, he answered, "Yes. You seem to be really close with the captain.", but Tsumiko sensed something that was like teasing tone coming from the monotone guy. She was now tempted to forget about her decision about taking it easy on his training regimen –much to the panic of the voice of conscience.

Her own voice squeaked a little– _just_ a little –as she spoke,"We're not _that_ close" emphasizing on the word 'that' to deny whatever he was trying to imply. Wanting to close the topic, she further said "By the way, what were you supposed to ask me?"

Fortunately, Kuroko had his own priorities.

"I would just like to ask about your assessment on my skills, if that would be okay?"

The girl beside him was about to turn right, but due to his question, she paused in walking and looked at him. He also paused and met her eyes.

His teal eyes were still blank, but they held a hint of determination, encouraging the girl to be truthful.

"Well, to be honest, I think you'll need to work on your endurance and skills first. I'm still not sure where you're good at specifically"

Sensing that the boy was feeling a bit down, she added "but I see your passion and I believe that this will lead you somewhere. Let's both work on it, okay?"

Kuroko saw light in her dark eyes and sincerity in her smile, so he also gave her a genuine smile, "Thank you, coach. We shall. I promise to do my best."

"Y-you don't need to call me coach. I mean I'm not yet officially one, I guess." She said, tucking a silver strand of hair to her ears, feeling a bit of both excitement and awkwardness with being addressed to as 'coach'.

Remembering that the white-haired girl was about to turn right earlier, he said, while pointing to his left, "Well then, Irosuzuka-san. I'll be heading this way. See you tomorrow." He then gave her a slight bow. She returned the gesture, before heading to the road on her right.

She then thought about stopping over by the bakery on the way to her house to buy some bread, completely forgetting about Nijimura's threats of her going home straight away. Though, she doesn't forget to text him when she got home.

She simply got an 'Okay' in response, but she still wore a dumb smile while reading his message.

The voice of reason face-palmed at this.

* * *

Akashi was sitting inside a car on his way home.

Earlier, he was surprised to see a very familiar black Mercedes-Benz near the school gates after practice. Good thing, no one was around since he was probably the first one who finished changing.

The Akashi heir did remember telling his chauffeur, Yamamura-san, yesterday to stop the car at a spot near the school, and that as much as possible, he won't be needing him to drive him to school and to drive him back home anymore. He even specifically notified him that he would be going home by himself today.

He had given his instructions very clearly. He was certain.

After questioning Yamamura-san, he learned that his father was unexpectedly back from his business trip and would like to meet him as soon as possible.

The red-head was too deep in his thoughts, that he didn't notice passing by a certain silver-haired girl walking on the sidewalk while swinging a plastic bag of pastry on her hand.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 _ **Yes!**_

 **To Tsumiko's new friends, Momoi and Aomine (i love them both)**

 **To Tsumiko's lunchmates, Mizuki and Chitose**

 **To our favorite Tsunderima (i really enjoy writing from his POV)**

 **To the voices inside Tsumiko's head (lol)**

 **To Niji's 'Okay' T-T**

 **To Kuroko (everyone's bby)**

 **To Akashi (just gotta say that he is one of the main characters in this story, along with Niji and Tsumiko)**

 **Finally,**

 _ **Yes!**_

 **To my lovely followers ;A; and to everyone who's reading this.**

 **Please let me know what you think~**


	5. 真: Chapter 4

**A/N:**

 **Hello again!**

 **Thanks for the fave and follows! I really appreciate it~ ^0^**

 **This chapter will mostly be about her games in the third-string. I'm not an expert in basketball, so please forgive me ;A;**

 **Don't worry, next chapter will be some sort of an interlude! ;)**

 **Ikebana or** **Kadō** **(** 華道, **'way of flowers') will also be shown here for the first time! I also know a little about it, so, again, please excuse me.**

 **Feel free to drop reviews (I really want to know what you think.. T-T)**

* * *

"Do you understand?" a feminine voice was heard in the middle of a group of boys huddled together.

"Yes!" the group of boys, who she had randomly drawn from a box containing all the names of the third string members earlier, shouted in response.

"Let me see you all play, then"

With this, five boys went inside the court, while the rest sat on the bench.

Tsumiko looked around and saw Coach Shirogane arriving just in time to watch the practice match. She then took a glance to the coach of the opposing team, Coach Matsuoka. He looked calm, as expected. She tried to mirror his expression, only for hers to falter.

It couldn't be helped. After all, it had only been slightly more than a week since she started training the third-string members.

The game started with a tip-off , which was won by the opponent. For a first-timer, that forecasts an ominous end. Tsumiko knew this, but she stayed positive.

They got the first basket, and the next and the third. They got this, she believed.

Beginner's luck, they say.

But maybe, beginner's luck only worked at the beginning of the practice match.

The opposing team scored a three, a two for the next, another three for the next, and – they all stopped counting.

Only the scoring board remained.

 _ **Timeout.**_

Tsumiko called for a timeout. She needed to pause for a while and change their strategy.

Halfway through the second quarter, most of the players were already panting.

Almost all of the third-string players –even those of the opposing team – needed some rest too. A lot of them were also new to this. If Tsumiko's heart was wildly beating, their hearts were probably aggressively chasing its own pumps.

Coach Matsuoka called for a timeout. Tsumiko took this as a chance to do some changes.

"Takagi Gin, keep it up, but I need you to shoot from the outside more. With this, Hotta Jun be prepared to rebound if the ball misses."

"Kuroko Tetsuya, go in and assist Takagi Gin"

Kuroko had already noticed the way their coach addressed the players by their full names when she was giving instructions before the game started, so he simply nodded and prepared himself to finally play in the game.

"We have to narrow the gap by the end of the second quarter, better yet, if we can at least end with a tie"

With a 12-point disadvantage, and the state of the players, she knew that it was impossible to be in the lead by the end of quarter two.

By the last 3 minutes of the second quarter, she had subbed out Kuroko when he started puking sparkly stuff.

The second quarter ended with the opponent down to a 7-point advantage.

"Number 5 is their main scorer. Nagano Toru go up against him. Make a steal and pass it to Takagi Gin. Everyone, be ready for a fastbreak"

Number 5 was a first-year named Kogure Hisashi. He's a very fast-learner and also considered to be a possible candidate for the second-string, along with the second-year, Takagi Gin.

Of course, she knew all of the players, including those of the opponent's team. Along with Coach Matsuoka, she has been training them ever since she was assigned to the third-string.

In terms of skills and experience, the third-string players were around at the same level. That is why it was really on the coach.

She knew this.

She knew what they needed to do.

But it wasn't enough.

The game ended with a 53-40, in favor of Coach Matsuoka's team.

Her team lost.

What was she expecting, anyway?

But still, she was upset.

It sucked to lose.

* * *

"Irosuzuka-san, I'm really sorry for earlier."

Light blue and silver were currently passing by the school gates.

"It's fine, Kuroko-san. Are you sure you're alright already?"

"Yes, but.." he sighed, words left unspoken, but they both knew.

It sucked to lose.

For Kuroko, what was even more frustrating was that he didn't even get to play properly.

She felt so bad for the boy, for her team, and for herself.

"Hey, it's only the first game, Kuroko-san." she tried to cheer them both up, making an effort to tug her lips upward.

Light blue irises saw through sad dark ones – that was in contradiction with the girl's bright smile – but he decided to ignore this, as he nodded at her with a small smile.

Tsumiko placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, I'll be going ahead, Kuroko-san. See you next practice."

She then went inside the car waiting near the gates. There, she had replayed in her mind all the lectures and advice Coach Matsuoka and Coach Shirogane had given her after the practice game.

* * *

The following week ended the same. Her team, which now consisted of Kogure, lost.

But, she wasn't feeling as upset as last time.

 _ **52-44**_

They were getting closer.

Coach Shirogane even mentioned that Coach Matsuoka seemed to be put into a pinch, as he made sure to maximize his strongest players, like Takagi, and put the others, such as Kuroko, on bench almost all the time.

* * *

The day after the second practice match was a Saturday.

A silver-haired girl found herself picking stems and flowers in their garden. Most of the flowers of spring were already in full bloom, but there was one kind that caught her eyes.

 _ **Nemophila.**_

' _Baby blue eyes'_ she thought, as she was reminded of a certain person with baby blue eyes.

It was decided.

She would use this flower for her _Ikebana_.

 _Ikebana_ , also known as _Kado_ (華道), is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Tsumiko has been studying the art ever since her grandmother introduced it to her in Kyoto, several years ago. Her grandmother , a master Ikebana artist, teaches her the techniques whenever she visits Kyoto.

As she placed the jar of stems and _Nemophila_ flowers on her workplace at their balcony, she opted to do a _Moribana_ style, which was one of the basic arrangements.

First, she inspected the stems and flowers that she got. She removed leaves that were damaged and fixed the cuts of the stems underwater. Next, she filled the _suiban_ , a shallow type of container, with water. She then analyzed the flowers and stems, pondering about the design.

Once she had settled on her plan, she began taking her first stem and pinning it on the _kenzan_ , a pin-holder tool used to support the stems and flowers. She examined the stem from different directions, and adjusted the angle and position of the stem until she was satisfied. This stem is _shin_ (真), which represents heaven.

Afterwards, she took another stem and cut it to make it shorter than the first one, making it the _soe_ (副), which symbolizes man. She placed the stem on the _kenzan_ , but it wouldn't stand upright due to it being slightly bent. Since she couldn't find the best position as she adjusted the stem, she finally changed the stem with another one.

When she was contented, she arranged the _Nemophila_ flowers, the _hikae_ (控), which embodies earth. The baby blue color and smooth petals complemented with the rough woody stems.

After placing other stems and, the _jushi_ (樹枝), or supporting stems, she scanned it as a whole – from different distances, from the left, the right, the top and the bottom – and did some minor changes until she was pleased with the outcome. Finally, she placed it on the living room table.

 _ **Success.**_

For her, that was what the arrangement meant.

* * *

The third practice game started shaky for Tsumiko's team. They were down by 9 points at the end of the first-quarter.

"Let's do a Single/Double." She announced, as she showed them the formation on the coaching board. This strategy is usually used to free up a team's shooter. In their case, it was to free up Kogure Hisashi.

By the end of the second quarter, they managed to close the gap.

"Good job everyone. Kuroko Tetsuya go in"

During the beginning of the third quarter, the main scorers of the two teams, Kogure and Takagi were neck-and-neck. However, halfway through the quarter, Kogure was being double-teamed by Takagi and Nagano, until Takagi stole the ball from him, causing a turnover. The double-team continued, until the ball went out-of-bounds–

 _ **Almost**_.

Kuroko caught the ball.

Finally having possession of the ball, the other players had finally noticed his presence. Seeing that Kogure was still being double-teamed and taking advantage of the shocked expressions on the players' faces, he dribbled the ball then fired.

' _Baby blue eyes'_ Tsumiko thought, as she recalled the _Nemophila_ flower arrangement that meant 'success' for her.

The ball flew mid-air and everyone tracked its trajectory – jaws dropping lower in every second.

It was reaching near the hoop –

 _ **Almost.**_

Hotta of the opposing team, who had recovered much quickly than the others, jogged towards the teal-haired boy and easily caught the ball mid-air.

Jaws dropped to the floor in an instant.

The shot was barely even an _almost_.

 _ **Timeout**_.

After Hotta effortlessly scored a basket – while everyone was still in a daze – the white-haired coach called for a timeout as she decided to sub out the poor boy with baby blue eyes, who remained frozen in his spot.

"I'm so sorry, Coach"

"Don't be. If you can recover enough, I might consider putting you back in."

"Yes, Coach"

The third-quarter ended with the other team leading with 5 points.

In the fourth quarter, they did more inside shots and increased their defense.

Having a sudden gut-feeling somehow, she had placed the recovered Kuroko back in at the last 3 minutes of the game.

By the last 1.5 minutes of the game, they were only behind by 2 points. However, it was the other team's possession.

Takagi, who had the ball, was having a one-on-one with Kogure. Takagi dribbled, trying to waste time, and looking for an opening to shoot.

' _Please steal it'_ she prayed

The ball flew.

Takagi had passed it to his teammate on the right side. When everyone's eyes were on the ball, he took it as a chance to drive inside.

' _No'_

She knew what's gonna happen next.

Takagi's teammate passed the ball back to him, after seeing him driving inside and away from Kogure. Kogure knew it was too late to steal. They can only rely on a block before the ring, but Hotta was there for a possible rebound.

There was no timeout, anymore.

The ball flew.

It magically flew away from Takagi's hands.

Kuroko stole the ball.

' _Baby blue eyes'_

"Kogure-san!" he shouted as loud as he can, as he ran towards the other side of the court and passed it to a thankfully recovered Kogure. Kogure immediately got into shooting position and in one swift motion, he fired a three.

Everyone hitched their breaths, as they watched the ball in anticipation – unsure of what it's arc may bring.

The scoreboard, on the other hand, mercilessly continued displaying the seconds left.

 _ **Buzz.**_

As if the bee that had stung and stunned everyone had now buzzed away from them, they woke up in their trance and gazed at the ball that was now bouncing directly below the ring.

The scoreboard finally stopped.

 _ **57-56**_

Her team won.

 _ **Success**_

* * *

"Everyone, you all worked hard. Today, we have decided to move Irosuzuka up to the second-string" the head coach declared. With this, the gym was filled with sounds of awe and praises.

"Thank you so much, coach!" Tsumiko said, as she went for a deep bow.

"Takagi Gin, Hotta Jun, and Kogure Hisashi, you'll be joining her in the second-string." Coach Matsuoka added. The two second-years, Takagi and Hotta, and the first-year, Kogure all bowed down as well. More words of admiration were exchanged inside the gym.

Coach Shirogane ended with a reminder, "To the others, train even harder, and prepare yourselves for the assessments. That's all."

"Yes, coach!" various voices echoed within the walls of the third-string gym.

Among the roars of the students inside the gym, one voice tingled the girl's ears.

"Congratulations, Irosuzuka-san."

Looking at the source of the voice on her right, she earnestly spoke, "Kuroko-san! Congratulations to _us_. We couldn't have done it without you.", while staring straight at his baby blue eyes.

"Yeah Kuroko, that steal was amazing" Kogure, who was at her other side voiced out.

"Congratulations, Kogure-san. I just happened to be lucky."

After a little giggle at his remark, she gave him a little motivation, "Don't worry, Kuroko-san. I believe that with your dedication, you'll soon be part of the second-string too"

Accepting her words of encouragement –even if he honestly didn't believe that he can do it – he still replied, "Thank you."

* * *

She was so excited to bring home the good news that she ran straight to the gates, without passing by the first-string gymnasium. As soon as the car halted in front of their house's front entrance, Tsumiko ran inside, giving the butler, who opened the door for her, a slight bow before rushing towards the living room.

Catching a sight of her mom's white hair, she exclaimed, "Mom! We won! I made it to the second-string!"

Her mom turned to face Tsumiko, wearing a startled expression that turned into a proud one, as the news finally dawned upon her.

"Woah. Congrats!" a deep voice interrupted, and that's when Tsumiko saw the black-hair that contrasted with her mom's white hair.

"Yuuta-nii!" she squealed, before rushing to take the seat next to her brother.

"Oh honey, I'm so proud of you" the older lady, who sat at the opposite side of the raven-haired boy, gave her daughter a sweet smile and continued, "and I am also happy that your brother finally decided to go home" slightly pouting at her son.

"Mom, it hasn't even been that long." Yuuta said, mirroring the pout his mom had.

"Oh, go get dressed, you two. I told your dad that we'll be eating outside since Yuu-chan's home. But now we'll also celebrate Tsu-chan's promotion!" Eri gracefully clasped her hands and flashed the siblings with a bright smile.

Taking one last glance at the _Nemophila_ flowers proudly decorating the table baby blue, her lips let out a 'Thank you.', voice soft and careful – not wanting to disturb the structure that displayed success.

Up in her room, Tsumiko was busy picking between a black and a red dress when her phone went off. She then proceeded to retrieve her phone from her desk and read a message from a certain dark-haired senpai.

" _Hey, I heard from the coach. Congrats."_

" _Thanks, senpai! Yuuta-nii's home too"_

It took a minute or two before a reply came in,

" _Say hi to the bastard, I guess?"_

She chuckled while typing in a response.

" _Sure, senpai"_

* * *

On the way to the restaurant, Tsumiko was playing on her phone when she blurted out randomly,

"Oh right, Nijimura-senpai says hi."

When there was no response, she paused her game and received a confused look from her brother. She then continued "I told him you were back", gesturing to her phone.

"What, you guys are texting now?" he showed her a look that was both playful and threatening. It was a good thing that their mother was busy talking to someone on the phone at the passenger seat, or else she would've gladly joined in the conversation to tease and question her.

Refusing to surrender under that look, she calmly answered, "It's not like _that_. He just congratulated me." Seeing that her brother was still not convinced, she defensively added "And of course we text. I'm a manager slash coach, and he's the captain. You know this, former captain" answering the unspoken question that exuded from her brother's gaze.

Fortunately, Yuuta didn't pry any longer, but unfortunately, his hands were reaching to ruffle his sister's hair, much to her displeasure.

"Fine. Ask him if he's free tomorrow. Oh, and if you can ask the others too, that'll be great. Let's all hang out tomorrow, okay?"

Still a bit irritated by her now messy hair, she was tempted to snap at him and tell him to go tell them himself since he also had their contact numbers. However, the idea of having a reason to text the black-haired second-year was much more tempting to resist. With this, she simply grunted an 'okay', while fixing her white tresses that shone even more brightly against her black dress.

By the way, she wanted to sport a classic look for tonight .

And yes, she chose the black one.

* * *

Back in the Irosuzuka living room, the _Nemophila_ flower arrangement was still proudly painting the room baby blue.

However, it was still lacking.

One stem, the _soe_ – representing man– stood out. That stem was the replacement of a stem that was slightly bent.

If the girl were a much experienced Ikebana artist, she would'nt have replaced the bent branch. Instead, she would've learned to adjust to it – utilizing its unconventional beauty.

Likewise, if she were a much experienced coach, she would've realized the potential of one baby-blue-eyed boy, who had very little presence, based from the steal he had made.


	6. 真: Chapter 5

**A/N:**

 **Hello!**

 **Sorry, I was busy with school. o.o Anyway, thank you for the follows!**

 **This chapter contains a b** **it of a flashback in the middle.** **In the anime/manga, there are two second-years in the first string of Teikou that were named: Sekiguchi and Kubota. Sekiguchi will be making an appearance here and Kubota will also be mentioned here. :D Also, look out for blondes ;)**

 **Here 'ya go~**

 **Feel free to ask if you have clarifications or anything! Thanks~~**

* * *

It was a Saturday.

Saturdays are great for sleeping in, especially if one just had a tiring match the day before. Nothing bad happens during Saturdays. Saturdays are –

 _ **A knock.**_

"Tsumiko" a male voice called behind the door.

This.

This is the worst thing that could happen during a Saturday.

Recognizing the voice that belonged to her brother, the girl didn't even bother to get up from the comforts of her bed to open the door. Instead, she let out an irritated "What?", voice still a bit hoarse from the sleep.

"Nijimura and the others are already on their way, so you better hurry up"

Her eyes shot up, and she immediately pushed the covers away. Not even bothering to give in to the temptation – which is to open the door, just so she could shut the door on her brother's face – she made a run to her closet, without tripping, in all fairness.

Yuuta, on the other side of the door, heard the panicked steps his sister made. Restraining himself from laughing, he left and proceeded downstairs.

A few minutes later, the youngest child rushed down the stairs and towards the dining room, where her brother was taking his time eating his sandwich.

"Wow, it's such a skill that you could still dress nicely under pressure" Yuuta casually remarked as he surveyed his sister. She was wearing white sneakers, denim shorts, a black tank top, an unbuttoned red Off-White plaid long sleeves that hang loose on her petite frame.

Despite the casual tone of her brother, Tsumiko didn't miss the suspicious glint in his eyes. As the gears on her mind worked, she looked at the clock – undoubtingly with its own gears perfectly working.

It was early.

It was a Saturday.

It was _still_ early.

Not wanting to admit defeat easily, she fought the urge to roll her eyes and simply took the seat across her snickering brother, without showing any sign of annoyance on her face.

* * *

"Senpai!" "Irosuzuka-senpai!" two boys beamed as they approached the older of the Irosuzuka siblings.

The younger Irosuzuka's eyes wandered to the raven-haired second-year, who was following behind the two boys. He was sporting a simple black-shorts-and-navy-shirt look, topped with an unbuttoned gray long sleeve and his usual scowl.

"Senpai, Kubota couldn't make it today" Sekiguchi Toru, who was a reserve player last year, but was now a second-year small forward of the first string, informed about Kubota Masaya, who was also a reserve player last year and was now a second-year shooting guard of the first-string.

"Yeah even Miyagi and the other third years already had plans" Obura Bunta, a third-year who has been playing as a center of the first string since last year, added – referring to Miyagi Youhei, a third-year who has also been playing as a point guard of the first string since last year.

"It's okay, since this is all so sudden. How are you guys?" The former Teikou captain and small forward then focused his eyes at Nijimura, "How's the team, captain?"

The current captain and power forward replied dryly, "Same old, probably better since you're not there. Already heard about the four first-year brats who entered the first string?"

Ignoring the first statement, the older and slightly shorter male retorted back," Yeah, I did. But isn't it good to know that the greatest brat of all is not much of a brat now, huh?"

The atmosphere, which was growing a bit dark due to the supposedly playful exchange of two raven-haired boys, was brightened by a sudden laugh by a light-haired boy, Sekiguchi.

"This is so like the good old times. Why won't we play some ball, huh?" Sekiguchi asked, while bringing out a basketball from his bag.

At the sight of the radiant color of the basketball, Yuuta enthusiastically replied, "Sure, we still have time before lunch anyway."

The younger raven-haired boy simply followed behind the three eager boys, stealing a glance to the girl quietly walking beside him.

* * *

Sitting on the bench of an open court at a nearby park, Tsumiko watched the boys play with other people on the court and coached them from time to time. This brought back memories of the time she had decided to attend Teikou.

...

 _It was the final game of the Nationals last year. Teikou was against Haranishi Junior High. Tsumiko was seated next to her mother on the stands. It was her first time watching her brother play in the Nationals because during the past two years, she spent her summer in Kyoto._

 _Teikou was leading, up until the second quarter. However, she sensed something wasn't right_ – _and no, it wasn't the blond-haired guy that stood out from the team._

 _This was why during the half-time break, she hurried towards Teikou's locker room, lying to her mom about going to the restroom. Once she managed to sneak past the security and reached the locker room, she overheard the coach giving instructions. Panicking at the instructions, she completely forgot about her place, as she didn't even knock and barged into the room._

 _Ignoring her brother's 'Tsumiko?!', she offered the coach a bow before introducing herself and saying "Pardon my rudeness." She then proceeded to explain and voiced out her suggestion._

 _Now, usually when kids say something smart, people would simply pat their heads or squeak out a 'You're so adorable'. She normally didn't like it when older people did that, but oh how Tsumiko wished that the older man in front of her would do that, instead of showing her a smile_ – _that if Tsumiko didn't know better, she would be convinced that he was actually fond of her._

" _Little miss, only the Teikou basketball team is allowed in here. Also, only a coach can give instructions to his players" he then shifted his gaze to the raven-haired boy standing next to the girl and commanded, "Irosuzuka-kun, let one of the bench members escort your sister back to the stands"_

 _Tsumiko was stunned. However, she hoped that her vocal chords and mouth were stunned as well, because instead of giving in to the coach's command, she still managed to say "It's fine, I can go back by myself. I apologize for intruding. I wish you all luck" With another bow, she left the room._

 _As the match resumed, she noted that Teikou was still following the coach's instructions, and by the end of the game, Teikou lost._

 _After the awarding ceremony, the coach approached Tsumiko, who was busy taking pictures with her brother and mother._

" _Coach! My mother's here, and uh, you already know my sister" Yuuta said with an awkward chuckle._

" _It's nice to see you again, Madam" he then turned towards Tsumiko and said, "I'm the head coach, Shirogane. I take that our first meeting wasn't that pleasant, right little miss? I would like to apologize. It also appears that you were right." He gave her a smile, but this time it wasn't as threatening as before_ – _instead, it looked apologetic. Before she could even say that she had been rude and that there was no need to apologize, her mother interrupted._

" _Pardon me, but what do you mean, coach? I believe I'm a little bit lost here"_

 _Tsumiko was about to explain, but she was once again interrupted, as the coach told the story._

 _Oh, adults._

" _Your daughter's a keen observant. She might have the talent and potential to be a coach." He once again showed them a genuine smile._

 _Tsumiko felt pleasant while hearing the word 'coach'. She also remembered what the coach said back in the locker room._

' _Only the Teikou basketball team is allowed in here._

 _Also, only a coach can give instructions to his players'_

' _A coach' she pondered_

 _Her thoughts came out before the voice of reason could intervene, "Can I be a coach in Teikou?"_

 _The three simply looked at her._

 _Yuuta was the first one to recover and he uttered the only words that could be said in this situation "Oi Tsumiko?!"_

" _I guess I'll take that as an application?" Coach Shirogane chuckled, but they all sensed that he was seriously considering it._

 _This time, the three looked at him_

 _Yuuta was the first one to react again, "Wait, Coach?!"_

 _The coach nodded. With that confirmation, her mother held her hands and said "Wait, Tsu-chan, are you serious, honey?"_

 _Wide-eyed, she looked up to her mother and nodded "Will it be okay, mom?"_

" _We'll talk about it with your father, okay? I believe that as long as you don't forget your studies, you could be allowed to be one. But hey, I know my baby girl can do it!"_

 _Feeling a bit embarrassed by how she was addressed by her mother, she turned to the coach and bowed. She said "Thank you, coach. However, I believe that I need to get into Teikou first, right?", tucking a strand of hair behind her ear._

" _Of course. But once you and your family have decided, I can allow you to visit the team during training sessions whenever you're free."_

 _With this, the mother and daughter beamed, while the son's jaw was still left hanging._

 _A certain blonde boy walked up to them to call the coach and captain back to the team. Now that she saw him up close, she deduced that blond wasn't his natural hair color. He only did a slight bow before going back to his team._

 _..._

"Nijimura-senpai, have you ever considered dying your hair blond again?"

The three other boys, who just finished a game, burst out laughing at the memory of a blond Nijimura back in his first-year.

Nijimura just slightly gaped as he felt betrayed by the girl's random question.

 _ **Flick.**_

"Ow"

Tsumiko had just been flicked on her forehead by no other than Nijimura. The other boys simply paused for a second before laughing even louder.

At the sight of her brother dying from laughter, she thought, _'This traitor'_

* * *

After lunch, they were all strolling down the shopping street. The three boys in front of her seem to enjoy each other's company. On the other hand, the boy beside her seems to be so bored, as usual. Unlike the three guys, who do not seem to run out of topics to talk about, she and the current captain just talked about whatever they see on the streets.

"Oh that looks nice"

"Yeah"

"That one's funny"

"Looks like crap"

'Crap' was how she felt during the rest of the walk.

Next thing she knew, they were entering a building for a restroom break.

Obura was the first one to get out. The dark brown-haired center was just casually waiting outside when a pretty boy with equally pretty blond hair rushed into the building – _casually_ making him momentarily confused of his sexuality.

"Oi Nijimura, how'd you dye your hair blond before?" he hazily asked when he felt everyone's presence, causing another fit of laughter from everyone except one certain captain.

It took Nijimura a lot of self-control to not punch Obura in the face as he spat, "You'll look shitty"

Obura wasn't even offended because it was true – thanks to the existence of the pretty boy with pretty blond hair.

Few moments after recovering from his laughter, Yuuta checked his phone and declared, "Oh shit, I'm sorry, but I have to go now. I'll be meeting some of my classmates from middle school at 4. You guys can still stay."

With this, Tsumiko checked the time, as well.

 _ **3:30.**_

 _'This traitor.'_ He didn't tell her about this.

"Ah, it's 3:30!" Sekiguchi announced with all the panic he could muster, before continuing, "Need to go now, too. How about you Obura-senpai?"

"I suddenly feel like shit" Obura dejectedly replied. It _was_ true.

"Oh that's too bad, Obura. You should go now, too. Then I guess, I'll leave Tsumiko to you, Nijimura?" Yuuta patted Nijimura's shoulder with his left hand.

"But Yuuta-nii"

He held his sister's shoulder with his other hand."It's okay. I already told mom we won't be home by dinner anyways, so go ahead and have some fun." He then _innocently_ looked at Nijimura, "Unless, Nijimura has plans?"

Still taken aback by the situation, Tsumiko missed the suspicious glint in her brother's eyes.

But, Nijimura wasn't a moron.

Sekiguchi's acting was just bullshit and what the hell was wrong with their center.

But, maybe he _is_ a little bit of a moron.

He didn't get it. What's their point in doing this?

Nothing made sense, except one – their former captain was surely a bastard.

"I don't have plans. I'll take her home safely."

* * *

Okay now, this was too much.

It was even worse than earlier since they were alone now. They were _never_ awkward, right?

In school or in practice, they have plenty things to talk about. But this – this is outside territory. She realized that basketball and school were the only things they talk about.

She looked at her watch.

 _ **4:30.**_

It had only been an hour since her brother ditched her, and they already ran out of topics to talk to about.

Still walking aimlessly down the shopping district, she wondered if he felt awkward too, so she turned towards him, only to see him staring ahead with a pensive expression.

"Sorry, senpai. You probably had other things to do" she blurted out.

He faced her, as he spoke, "Like I said, I don't have plans, so stop worrying", giving her a smile and a gentle pat on the head.

After recovering from the sudden and brief contact, she questioned "Well, is there anything you want to do?"

"Hmm..I really can't think of anything. But I guess I haven't been to the arcade for a while" he answered, while gesturing to the arcade, which was two shops ahead.

When they entered the arcade, he noticed how her eyes sparkled. Observing her wandering eyes, he wondered, "First time in an arcade?"

Realizing she had made her excitement so obvious, she explained, "O-of course not. It's just, I guess this will be the first time that I can fully explore it. When we were younger, Yuuta-nii and I rarely went to arcades, and when we did, we usually had a time limit", letting out a pitiful laugh afterwards.

His eyebrows slightly raised with this information, "Y'know I was really amazed to see how you two don't act like the usual spoiled brats, well your brother's still a bastard. Guess, you guys are still treated as the spoiled brats that you're expected to be, huh?"

She shook her head a bit, "Well, I think our parents are still relatively lax than the others. I mean, some kids probably aren't given this much freedom. I'm thankful, but maybe, sometimes there are some things that really can't be helped"

"That's such a pain" He sighed before guiding her further inside the arcade, "Alright, let's play as long as you want, then"

It was beginning to feel warm.

It was probably due to her proximity to him, as he led her towards the Tekken game, careful not to bump onto people in the almost-crowded arcade.

* * *

Tsumiko didn't know how many arcade games have they played already. She didn't even bother checking her watch this time.

She was busy playing air hockey with the second-year. They both won one game each, so they were now playing their final round to determine the winner. It was an important match because they had a bet – the loser will treat the other to ice cream.

Now, ice cream made everything serious. With the mention of ice cream, anyone, especially middle schoolers, would get extra competitive.

She was already preparing for his attack. She already had a plan – if anyone even has the time to make plans for air hockey.

 _ **Ring.**_

Nijimura landed a goal

 _ **Ring.**_

"Senpai, aren't you going to answer it?"

 _ **Ring.**_

"That can wait. _This_ cannot."

 _ **Ring.**_

Tsumiko attacked and scored.

 _ **Ring**_

With an irritated tone, he finally picked up his phone "What?"

His annoyed expression changed to that of a shocked one then to a worried one.

"Okay. I'll be there."

With that, he hung up and gave her an apologetic expression, "Uh, that was my sister and she said there's an emergency." He paused a bit and continued, "She's older but she could be such an idiot sometimes, y'know" while shaking his head.

Tsumiko only looked at him expectantly, urging him to go on.

"Sorry, I have to leave. I need to go to that brat."

He then raised the air hockey equipment in his hand as he said, "Guess, I lost? Don't worry, I'll still buy you ice cream."

"No, it's okay" she finally assured with a small smile.

She glanced at her watch.

 _ **6:35.**_

They then returned the equipment and walked towards the entrance. Seeing that it was turning dark outside, he offered, "Well, I'll at least take you home. I'm really sorry"

Stopping in front of the arcade, she met his gaze, "You don't have to. I'll be fine. Your sister needs you"

Despite the bright lights of the arcade behind them, she noticed the relief that briefly adorned his face – only to be replaced by regret again.

"Thanks for understanding. I'll go ahead. Text me once you get home, okay?"

With her lips slightly tugged upwards, she reassured him one last time, "I will. Thanks for today, senpai."

He simply smiled back and nodded before walking away.

However, once he was far from the girl's sight, he _ran_.


	7. 真: Chapter 6

**A/N:**

 **Hi!**

 **First of all, Happy Birthday to our lovely Akashi! :) and a** **gain, thanks to all the faves and follows! T.T**

 **Okay, I ended the previous chapter with a bit of a cliffhanger, sooooo here it is~**

* * *

A fine morning during the first week of May and a middle-school girl whose thoughts were fluttering along with the fresh and green leaves of trees – swaying, as if they're waving at the world to broadcast their reappearance.

What a sight to look at, as of the moment.

On the other hand, the middle-school girl looked back to last Saturday night.

...

 _When she got home, she immediately texted Nijimura,_

" _I'm home. How's your sister?"_

 _However, it was only when she was about to sleep that she received a reply from him._

" _Sorry, ran out of bat. My sister's fine. She's just being stupid."_

 _Another one came in,_

" _Really sorry for earlier. I'll make it up to you next time. Ice cream?"_

 _And a last,_

" _Good night."_

 _She replied,_

" _Good to hear your sister's fine."_

" _Then, ice cream it is, senpai. Good night."_

...

Honestly, she was still bothered by his worry-stricken face during the phone-call – that etched into her mind. Nevertheless, she convinced herself, _'He was acting like usual earlier during morning practice, so I believe he's okay'_

"What do you think, Irosuzuka-chan?"

A voice brought her up to the present, as she was greeted by a sight of blue and pink eyes looking expectantly at her. Walking together after morning practice has somehow became a routine for this trio, but only during the days Momoi was called to assist in the first string.

Blinking at them sheepishly, she asked, "Ah, sorry, but what were we talking about again?"

Pink eyes surveyed her worriedly, "You seem to be anxious for the second string."

With a carefree grin, Aomine commented, "Oi, don't sweat about it too much"

In return, Tsumiko gave them a tight-lipped smile and nodded.

Momoi's expression shifted back to her initial one, as she explained, "Anyways, we were just wondering if aliens exist. I say that they do, because aren't there sightings of U.F.O.s before? And hey, isn't it weird if there's only us in the whole universe?" Shooting the taller boy a judging gaze, she further said,"But Dai-chan is being Dai-chan and says that they aren't real because he doesn't know any alien basketball player."

The tan boy rolled his eyes at his childhood friend and childishly retaliated, "Of course they're not. Why do you keep believing in aliens and ghosts, anyway? If they're real, then shouldn't they be smart and cool enough to learn how to play basketball?" With slight scorn in his voice, he continued, "Unless, those aliens are actually lame and boring. Don't be stupid, Satsuki."

And they started arguing again.

Without even having the chance to give her opinion, Tsumiko bid them farewell as they near her classroom. Even when she entered the classroom, she could still hear their bickering voices down the hall, something like "Mou Dai-chan, we didn't even get to hear Irosuzuka-chan's answer" and "Ha? That's because you're so noisy, Satsuki"

If aliens were real, those two were probably aliens lost in their own world.

* * *

"Okay that's all, class. Irosuzuka-san please bring the notebooks to the faculty room. Oh, Akashi-kun and Midorima-kun, please help her. Thank you" , their Math teacher, Anjou-sensei, instructed, as she prepared to leave the classroom.

"Yes, sensei" they chorused.

Green, white, and red were now quietly walking down the hallway with notebooks on their hands, with the addition of a gray wolf stuffed toy on the green ones' left hand.

A cool voice killed the silence, "Why do you think were we chosen to bring these notebooks?"

A deep voice answered with a question, "What do you mean, Akashi?"

"Do you think it's pure coincidence that we're all members of the basketball club?" the shorter boy asked with an amused expression, as if he already had an answer to his own question.

Silence once again enveloped them, as the taller boy and the girl were pondering about the question, whereas the one who asked the question simply waited for their response.

A feminine voice was the one who broke the silence this time, "Ah, we're here."

Once they were allowed to go inside, they gave their greetings and quickly found Anjou-sensei's desk.

"Thanks, you three", the math teacher then gazed at Tsumiko, "Irosuzuka-san, I noticed you weren't doing really well on your previous quizzes." She paused to cast a glance at the two boys, "I thought that there might be something wrong, so I also want to get the opinion of other members of the basketball team."

' _So that's why'_ was what the students, except for one red-head, thought. Upon realization of the situation, Tsumiko felt ashamed of herself, as she spoke, "I apologize, Anjou-sensei. I might have been really focused on the basketball team. I'll do better, sensei", lowering her head – mostly to cover her embarrassed face.

"Sensei, Irosuzuka got promoted to the second string in just three weeks, so the results of her previous quizzes might indeed be the consequence of her doing her duties as a coach. However, this also shows that she is hardworking and capable" Akashi pointed out in his usual confident tone. Tsumiko raised her head to flash him a grateful smile. She received a small smile in return.

Anjou-sensei subsequently eyed Midorima expectantly. Hesitating for a bit, Midorima added, "She also works as a manager of the first-string during morning practice", along with his mannerism of adjusting his glasses.

Satisfied with the following information, Anjou-sensei clasped her hands while saying, "Anyway, I was just worried since your first midterm exams are nearing and I need to remind you to not forget about your academics." Showing her students a grin, she ended the topic, "Congrats on your promotion Irosuzuka-san, and good luck."

The trio gave their teacher a polite bow ,"Thank you, sensei"

When they were out of room, a baritone voice remarked, "I can't believe I got called too because of your carelessness, Irosuzuka"

Flustered, she squeaked out a little "I'm sorry, you two, and thank you"

"No need to apologize, Irosuzuka. Though, you might want to slow things down a little" Akashi assured and advised.

"Well, I guess so? I mean, I'm not as great as you guys."

Glancing at his side, he watched the shorter girl tuck a loose strand of silver behind her ear, as she looked briefly at the ground, "You flatter us, Irosuzuka"

Her slightly widened eyes met his with awe, "But you really are. You two are geniuses in both basketball and in academics."

Seeing how she was not breaking eye contact, he returned back the compliment, "Well, you're an aspiring coach – a promising one at that. It's just fair to say that you feel more pressure and have more workload than the two of us"

Her eyes lit up as her lips tugged upwards, "Now _you're_ flattering me, Akashi-san"

One particular person was witnessing this exchange between his two classmates. Getting slightly annoyed with the formalities the other two shared, Midorima excused himself with a "I'm getting lunch" before leaving the two.

Continuing their walk to the classroom, the girl asked the boy, "Akashi-san, how about you? Do you already have lunch?"

"I do." was his short response.

"Would you like to join us, then?", she asked as she faced the slightly taller boy, who was looking straight ahead.

With her question, he turned towards her as he politely declined the offer, "No, thank you. I need to be somewhere too"

She nodded in understanding, "I see."

As they reached their classroom, Akashi simply got a bento from his bag before nodding a goodbye to her and exiting the classroom.

"Oh, what's this? The children of the Akashi group and Irosuzuka group are growing close?" Mizuki said, mimicking reporters while fixing the ribbon on her head. The said child of the Irosuzuka group only shook her head at her friend's antics, as she took a seat across her.

"Idiot. The daughter of the Irosuzuka group already likes someone else" Chitose said while wiggling her eyebrows at the girl on her right.

Too taken aback, the daughter of the Irosuzuka group gripped her chopsticks tightly and stuttered,"W-what do you mean? I don't..How?"

The stoic Chitose mirrored the surprised mien that adorned Tsumiko's face, except for the latter's light pink cheeks, "So you _do_ like someone?"

Tsumiko gaped.

She was just tricked.

Mizuki squealed, "Oh my God, Irosuzuka-chan! Who? If it's not Akashi-kun, then...Midorima-kun? Or or, is it a childhood friend from Kyoto? Or someone who moved to the U.S. during third grade because of his father's work and happens to like basketball too or-"

"NO"

It was the two girls' time to gape at the usually soft-spoken white-haired girl's outburst.

Tsumiko cleared her throat before continuing, "Pardon, but I believe I don't have anyone I like… _yet_. I'm still figuring it out"

She noticed Mizuki's gaping face transform into a very excited one, so before her friend could even burst flowers, sparkles, and hearts, Tsumiko interrupted her with a firm, "But, I still can't tell you. What I can tell you is that it's not Akashi-san nor Midorima-san nor a childhood friend from Kyoto nor whatever that very specific last one was."

And just like that, her two friends were silenced. They simply nodded in response before eating their lunch.

* * *

The aspiring coach's first training session with the second-string had already ended well, and she now found herself inside the coach's office, sitting across Coach Shirogane, with Coach Matsuyuki, the second-string coach, standing beside the head coach.

"We'll be having some changes to our plans. We found that the weekly practice match might be too much, especially since the midterm exams are coming up. So we decided to have just one practice match the week after the midterm exams. However, the practice game will be against Kouen Junior High" Coach Shirogane informed her.

Having mixed feelings about the changes, she voiced out her main concern, "Coach, thank you for your consideration, but what if the team loses?"

"Let's worry about that if it comes – that is, _if_ it comes"

Somehow, Tsumiko could swear that Coach Shirogane implied that there was no 'losing' option.

She must win.

"I understand, coach" Tsumiko stood up, then bowed.

* * *

"I don't understand, coach. Why does Coach Shirogane seem to be so confident that I can lead the team and win?" Tsumiko questioned, after being escorted outside the office by Coach Matsuyuki, who happened to also be her teacher in Japanese.

"You have to have more faith in yourself and in your team, Irosuzuka."

She agreed. Teikou was known to have a one of the strongest basketball team in junior high level. From what she had observed earlier, the second-string members were impressive themselves, so it was no wonder that Teikou's second-string dominated the second-string matches.

That said, she was still troubled. Maybe, they really should take things slow? She was still a first-year, right?

"Anyway, it might have something to do with his plan of making a team of stellar first-years", he added.

Okay, she just didn't understand even more.

With a puzzled expression on her face, she asked, "What does that mean, coach?"

Pitying his student, he tried to update her, "You see, I was told that another first-year was accepted to the first-string immediately after trying-out earlier. The head coach also has his eye on Akashi, by the way. He's one of the top candidates for the vice-captain position. There must be really something with you first-years"

The aspiring coach finally grasped the high expectations the head coach has for her and the other first-years. "Then that means, I really should do my best and win this game, coach"

"That's right, but, hey, don't forget your studies. Anjou-sensei told me about your quizzes earlier." Coach Matsuyuki then folded his arms, "That reminds me, your last quiz in my subject wasn't really good either"

"Ah, I'm really sorry about that coach..sensei." Guiltily, she pressed her palms together in front of her face, as she was once again reminded that she was still indeed a first-year student.

* * *

Another calm May morning and yet, a middle-school was girl rushing towards the first-string gymnasium.

"Sorry I'm late." She panted for a little while, "I woke up later than usual"

The second-year captain lightly tapped her back, "It's okay. You're probably tired from second-string training."

After placing her things down, Tsumiko caught sight of gray on the court. It was a similar shade to Midorima's lucky item yesterday, a gray wolf stuffed toy. The new gray hair seemed to be familiar, but she can't remember when and where she saw that hair.

Nijimura followed her pondering gaze, and answered the unspoken question, "That's Haizaki Shougo, a first-year who was accepted after trying out yesterday"

"Haizaki Shougo" Tsumiko repeated, as she watched the said boy, who was having a one-on-one moment with Aomine.

Haizaki was about to _steal_ the ball from Aomine – or at least, that was what he was planning to do – when someone shouted.

"Oi Haizaki! Come over here for a minute"

Still new to the environment, the ash-haired first year was alert enough to react once his name was called. He faced the source of that voice, a certain captain – realizing his mistake as he felt the tan boy swiftly passing through him.

' _Damn this fuc_ _–_ _'_

"Hurry up, Haizaki! And you guys, just continue practicing."

The rookie first-year approached the captain, his temper getting ahead of his newbie position, as he was ready to rant at the captain and curse at him for ruining his chance to steal the ball from Aomine. However, before the gray-haired boy could even start, he became distracted by the white-haired girl beside the raven-haired boy.

"Introduce yourself" was the oldest's command, as soon as the younger boy arrived in front of them.

"Haizaki Shougo" "Irosuzuka Tsumiko" the two first-years both said at the same time, as they both examined each other's faces.

Nijimura face-palmed at his mistake. He was about to clarify that he was only asking the ash-haired boy to introduce himself when,

"You!" the two first-years both said again at the same time.

Smirking amusedly, the male first-year continued, "You're that girl who got pushed to the ground twice during the first day!"

"Y-you're the arrogant one who helped me up!", the female first-year countered in the rudest tone she could muster, but her words didn't match up with her tone.

Much to Tsumiko's growing annoyance, Haizaki's smirk only grew wider, as he shrugged, "I'm just a _very_ helpful person. So what are you doing here _tiny_ -san?"

She popped a vein at this, "It's Irosuzuka Tsumiko. I'm a manager of the first string and a coach of the second string."

Nijimura, somehow, also found himself feeling annoyed for some reason.

Obviously surprised, Haizaki's smug expression changed into a skeptical one, "No shit?"

"No shit. She'll soon be a first-string coach, so you better treat her right, brat. Now, go back to practice", a deep voice belonging to the captain interrupted.

Haizaki threw a dirty look towards the second-year, but as he saw the second-year captain's stern appearance, he gulped a bit and jogged towards the others. Damn him.

Once the first-year left them, with a straight-face, Nijimura spilled out what he got from the two first-years' conversation, "You got pushed to the ground twice."

 _ **Smack.**_

His left arm was the victim of the younger girl's slap. Pretending to be offended, he playfully turned towards her – ready to lecture about the first-year's action towards a senpai. What met him, instead, was a fiery expression from the silver-haired girl, whose determined gaze was following the gray-haired boy.

Her next words caused him to look away from her, as he allowed the corners of his mouth curl upwards – letting out a hum of agreement.

"I'll be a first-string coach"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hello Haizaki! Yay :D Hmm, a certain blonde soon? *wiggles eyebrows* (lol)**

 **Well, if you noticed, there were a lot of trios in this chapter. I** **t's kinda like the theme for this chapter** **(I guess, lol) Oh, and did you notice Midorima's lucky item? ;)**

 **Also, do you believe in aliens? Do you believe in what Nijimura said in his text? o.O Let me know in the reviews~~ (pls talk to me ;A; lol)**

 **Anyways, I wish you all an advanced Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**


	8. 真: Chapter 7

**A/N:**

 **Hello again!**

 **Thanks to those who reviewed, and I'm so happy that** **you like this story T-T**

 **I hope to hear more from all of you, my dear readers~ ;A;**

 **Anyway, I got really busy this holiday season, so here's something before the year ends. Happy new year, everyone! :)**

* * *

The following days, Tsumiko found herself juggling between schoolwork and club-work. It was tiring enough that she even asked Tanaka-san to drive her to and from school everyday, much to the delight of her parents. The pressure of having a single practice match that she couldn't manage to lose at, along with the fact that they technically only have more or less two weeks for training due to the cancellation of club activities the week before the midterms and the week of the midterms itself, was killing her.

The days went by in a rather quick pace, as she found herself welcoming the start of the week before the midterm exams, with not-so-open arms. Wanting to prepare for the rest of the nights she'll be spending on studying, she had asked Tanaka-san to stop by a convenience store on their way home from school.

The sight of a familiar purple greeted her as soon as she entered the establishment, "Ah, hello Murasakibara-san!"

It took the taller boy a few moments to turn and look back – no, look down – at her, "Oh, Iro-chin~"

Making an effort to crane her neck upwards, she went on, "I'm just going to buy some snacks to keep me awake tonight. Do you have some recommendations?"

"Hmm..maiubo is a must, of course. I'm gonna buy the new flavor, the green special. See, it is a seaweed cucumber matcha flavor. Hmm, I wonder how it would taste like", he drawled while holding out the box of maiubo that appeared a bit tiny on his large hands.

 _'I wonder too'_ , Tsumiko thought, with eyes slightly twitching as she had been reminded of the bizarre taste of the purple giant – something that she had learned during morning practice.

"Potato chips are also really good, especially the caramel parmesan flavor. Uwaah~"

The white-haired girl simply sweat-dropped as she watched the purple-haired boy drool. However, seeing how enthusiastic the usually lazy boy is, she decided to ask further, "How about sweets?"

"Sweets~ hmm, Nerunerunerune candy is the best. Cookies are good. Pudding too and cake and–"

Snapping out of his daydream, he pouted at her impatiently, "Mou, I can't wait to eat. This is okay, right, Iro-chin? I'm going to go buy now."

"Uh, sure. Thank you very much, Murasakibara-san" She then watched him get more snacks, including the sweets he just mentioned. She noticed how his eyes sparkle while looking at the different snacks, in contrast to how he usually is during practice.

After paying for the mountain of goods, he uttered a muffled "Bye, Iro-chin~", while munching on an already opened and suspiciously green maiubo.

"See you at school, Murasakibara-san", she responded, as she approached the counter with caramel parmesan potato chips and chocolate cookies on her hands.

* * *

The next day, their teacher gave them a study period, so Tsumiko went to the library to borrow a Japanese history book. Once she got the book, she decided to stay in the library for a while. Sitting on an empty desk, she flipped through the book to scan it, and that's when she heard a page being turned.

It wasn't from her.

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, she looked towards the direction from where she had heard the sound, and to her surprise, she saw a familiar teal-haired boy reading a book. He was seated on the chair across her, which she had been certain to be empty when she sat down.

The boy felt her stare, so he put his book down and greeted her, "Domo, Irosuzuka-san."

"K-kuroko-san?!" she shrieked, completely regretting it afterwards, as she saw some students near them look at their direction – more like her direction because Kuroko is Kuroko and he could ba a little sh-

"Shh"

Kuroko placed his index finger vertically in front of his lips, cooly adding fuel to the fire that is burning on Tsumiko's face.

However, Tsumiko is Tsumiko, so she took a deep breath and bowed at the people around her before turning her gaze to the boy across her.

With eyes slightly narrowed, she asked, "Were you here all along, like usual?"

"Yes. I was here first", he deadpanned

 _'It's been a while since I felt that'_ , Tsumiko thought, referring to the feeling she gets every time Kuroko seems to pop out of nowhere.

"Well, I'm guessing you're also here to stud–" Her gaze fell on the cover of the book Kuroko was reading.

"You're reading a novel." It was her time to deadpan.

"Yes. It's a Western novel about a pig in a sheep farm" Kuroko said as passionately as he can.

Wanting to let the boy know that reading a novel during this time might not be the best thing to do, she rhetorically asked, "Is that so?"

However, she had asked it with a little more enthusiasm than intended. Well, she really can't help it, not after seeing how the boy's usually expressionless eyes held some sparkle in them, just like when he's playing basketball – something that she had learned while being a third-string coach.

"Moreover, it is really inspiring, as the pig learns how to herd sheep"

"I see", she said, adding a little more nonchalance to get her point across.

"It's very interesting. You might want to try reading it too, Irosuzuka-san"

Sensing that the boy across her seemed to be enjoying this too much, she realized that the initial sparkle in his eyes had actually turned into a mischievous glint.

"Kuroko-san, I appreciate the recommendation–"

"You're welcome – "

"–However, midterms are already next week, and the second-string game is on the week after midterms, so I might not have the _time_ to read that yet."

At the mention of the second-string game, Kuroko decided to drop the teasing, and said, "I see, I have heard about the second-string game. You must be feeling a lot of pressure right now, Irosuzuka-san?"

She sighed both in relief and in despair, respectively, as the boy appeared to have stopped the teasing and as she was reminded about the pressure that didn't really go away for her to not remember. "Yes. Sometimes, I don't even know what to focus on anymore."

"Don't worry Irosuzuka-san, I believe that you can do it", he tried to soothe her worries, as he recalled some events in the novel he was currently reading.

With a modest curl on her lips, she said, "Thank you, Kuroko-san"

"This novel might actually help you relieve your stress and learn–"

"Kuroko-san"

"I understand. Let's study now, right, Irosuzuka-san?"

He gave her a small smile, with a hint of mischief – if you really, really look closely. Despite this, she returned the smile, with a nod.

She simply groaned internally in defeat, as she saw the boy pick up the novel and continued reading the novel, instead of studying.

* * *

The succeeding days, she had been constantly bumping into some of the second-string members. She would then chat with them a little and remind them of the exercises she had told them to do at home – to which, some would groan in response while some would say a 'Yes, coach' in response. However, after realizing that they might feel the same pressure as her, she would ask them to take it easy, without really taking back her reminders – much to the members' confusion – and cheer them on.

Today was the last day before midterms and today was the same, except that she had bumped into him – more like, he had seen her coming and poked her forehead before she could even bump into him.

"Stop reading while walking, idiot"

A silver head looked up from her notebook to shift her focus at the person who was still poking her forehead.

"Nijimura-senpai"

At her acknowledgment, he retracted his hand and crossed his arms, as he stared into her tired eyes, "You're stressing yourself too much. You should get proper sleep."

Noticing the bags on the older boy's eyes, she retorted, "I could say the same to you, senpai."

Nodding in agreement, he changed the topic, "What subject?"

"Math." She sighed and pouted a little, "Why are there so many formulas to memorize?"

"You don't memorize formulas, you derive them", he stated matter-of-factly.

"You say that like it's so simple."

Squinting her eyes a little, she got intrigued. "Wait, could it be that you're really good at math, senpai?"

"Guess you could say that it's my best subject", he replied while slightly shrugging. Seeing that the girl only blinked at him in response and being the kind senpai that he is, he uncrossed his arms and offered, "I can help you out if–"

"N-no, thank you" she jerked out of embarrassment. She probably looked stupid in front of someone who apparently was stellar at Math.

It took only a split second for her to realize that she had just passed up an opportunity to spend time with the older boy, so with panic, her instincts took over her pride, as she softly added, "Maybe, next time."

"Okay." He then ruffled her hair, as he wished her a good luck. His deep voice felt extra comforting and warm, that by the time he had proceeded to go up the stairs, she was left on the spot to imitate a cherry with silver on top. She had no choice but to memorize the stupid formulas – she'll soon try to derive later – to bring back the natural color of her face.

* * *

The midterm exams soon started. In the duration of the exams, she would sometimes catch sight of the blue and pink duo, bickering as usual. She would proceed to greet them, and they would stop fighting to greet her back. The pink-haired girl would then start ranting about how 'Dai-chan' slacks off, while the blue-haired 'Dai-chan' would snap back how 'Satsuki' nags too much and how he can't wait to start training again. They would then start arguing once again, making the white-haired girl excuse herself to leave.

One time at the hallway, she even met an ash-haired boy, who simply greeted her with a smug 'Yo'. She was tempted to comment about him being too lax, however, she settled with a 'Hello, Haizaki-san', after seeing him yawn, surprisingly with visible bags under his eyes. In return, he slightly shoved her aside and stuck his tongue out childishly. Her growing annoyance was, however, pacified by another yawn from him. She could only playfully snap a 'Don't fall asleep, Haizaki -san' at his back. He would only groan as he walked away from her, trying to stop another yawn.

During the last day of midterms, she was leaning against the wall outside her classroom, with her Japanese History notebook, when she had noticed two girls across her staring at a certain direction. Curiously, she followed their gazes and she managed to catch a glimpse of yellow down the hallway. However, before she could even see more, the bell rang, and she panicked a little since there were still two names to memorize – that, unlike formulas, couldn't be derived.

* * *

Finally.

It was the day of the practice match against Kouen Junior High.

Tsumiko was not wearing her usual practice/training clothes. Instead, she was wearing her Teikou uniform, except that she exchanged her usual knee-high socks to a regular one and that she wore rubber shoes. She also removed her coat and had a whistle. For a finishing touch, she tied her hair up to a ponytail. She regarded this as her professional outfit as a coach, for practice matches and hopefully, for official games.

Once the Kouen Junior High's second-string team arrived, she went alongside Coach Matsuyuki to greet their opponent's coach, Coach Ono. Although Coach Ono didn't seem to be surprised at the young aspiring coach, Tsumiko could see some of the players of his team whispering and snickering to each other, while casting glances at her. Being the professional that she is, she ignored all these - not after vowing to herself to beat them and win.

But still, she was nervous.

She felt like a pig given the responsibility to herd sheep. Once she reached the bench where her team was, however, she saw how different these 'sheep' were.

All the days that had passed ever since she started training them flashed in her mind, causing her to realize how little these days were compared to all the time majority of the second string had spent in training.

Unlike the third-string members, the second-string players were used to this. They certainly were not lost sheep.

 _That 'll do, Tsumiko, that 'll do._


	9. 真: Chapter 8

**A/N:**

 **Hey there my 2019 readers! (lol)**

 **New year, new faves and follows~ Thank you so much! It really pushes me to write more. *hugs you all***

 **New year, new chapter~**

* * *

 _ **Coach.**_

Today was the second time that Tsumiko had been addressed as one during a game. The first time was last April during the third-string match.

It felt unreal.

 _Well_ – technically speaking, it _was_ unreal since she's still not one _officially_.

But still, it caused her gut to twist in odd loops that just made her want to vomit rainbows and sparkles, just like how Kuroko usually did.

Ah, Kuroko.

Can she just go back to the third-string? No – can she just go back to simply being a manager of the first-string. Scratch that – can she just go back to the Nationals last year?

Yes, that might be it.

...

 _'Your daughter's a keen observant. She might have the talent and potential to be a coach'_

...

Tsumiko didn't know when had she started wanting to be a coach. All she knew was that it was Coach Shirogane's statement and 'coach' during the Nationals last year that led her to consider becoming one.

Tsumiko also didn't know when, exactly, had she shifted her focus from casually watching NBA players in games and cheering on her preferred team to actually analyzing the plays done in the games and making an effort to research about them. All she knew was that it was after the Nationals last year that pushed her to intentionally learn more about basketball and the different strategies and coaching techniques used in the sport, with the goal of certainly becoming a coach.

Oh, she could seriously feel the rainbows and sparkles forming in her gut right now.

Ah, rainbows and sparkles.

A certain raven-head captain appeared inside her head. He was grinning brightly at her and he was surrounded by sparkles and flowers, as he proudly spoke the word that was currently bothering her.

 _'_ _Coach.'_

In an instant, her woes and doubts were gone. On the contrary, the feeling in her gut remained.

But wait.

The Nijimura she had imagined somehow sounded a bit off.

"Coach"

Wait, that voice was different from the one before and it came from a different direction.

Once she snapped out of her daydream, she received a mix of expectant and concerned looks of a certain team of basketball players. One of the second-string starters, who was the owner of the first voice, asked after taking a gulp of water, "Are you okay?"

The owner of the second voice, who was also a starter, shrugged at her, "Hey, don't be so tense. We're leading"

They were.

It was already halftime and they had a 10-point lead, with a score of 39-29. However, this didn't mean that she could now chill and relax. Securing their victory wasn't a walk in a park. But maybe, she was indeed being a bit too anxious. She remembered that as a coach – as of the moment – she should be professional and compose herself to set an example and to prevent the players from being nervous and rattled.

Noticing that most of the people on the team she was handling was calmer than her, she felt ashamed of her behavior. Thus, she took a deep breath and showed them a small smile to ease the worries of a few of them, "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry about that."

One of those who felt better was the second-string rookie, her fellow first-year, Kogure – giving her a thumbs up, in return.

"The five minutes you gave us for our own personal breaks already passed", another starter, who was doing some stretching exercises, informed her. He then continued, "We still have less than ten minutes, do you have any instructions, coach?"

Despite the relaxed demeanor majority of the second-string players were showing, there was still a tense atmosphere in the locker room, as seen by how each of them kept themselves busy – drinking water or sports drink, stretching, and such.

Of course.

Although she spent little time with them, she knew. This game was also a chance for them to be part of the first-string, and as a coach – an aspiring coach – she should help them.

With this thought, the said coach became even more motivated, as she took out the coaching board and showed them the plan.

When the match resumed, the plan, fortunately did well. Unfortunately, though, Coach Ono of Kouen Junior High had also revealed a plan on his sleeve. Therefore, by the end of the third quarter, Teikou's halftime lead of ten points went down by half.

It was already the fourth quarter, and as if the pressure she was feeling wasn't still enough, her own stupid self just had to glance towards the stands, wherein Coach Shirogane and Coach Matsuyuki were watching.

Thankfully, Coach Shirogane was busy writing down on his clipboard, but this just made her paranoid and wonder what on Earth was he scribbling down – triggering her to feel even worse.

Coach Mastuyuki, on the other hand, mouthed a 'You can do it' to her – causing her to suddenly feel guilty about sacrificing a little of her study time on Japanese to watch some clips from the footage of Kouen Junior High's previous second-string matches.

Replaying the clips inside her head, a certain realization had dawned upon her. A light bulb appeared above her head, as she called for a timeout and relayed her plan to the team.

Minutes passed during the final quarter, and as the game near its end, the scores went like this,

63-58

65-58

65-60

68-62

71-62

The plan, this time, was completely effective.

They had sealed their victory.

* * *

The opponent team's coach extended his hand towards Tsumiko, "Congratulations, young coach", acknowledging her position as one.

Keeping her flattered self in place, she shook his hand and bowed at him, "Thank you, Coach Ono." Casting a glance towards the Kouen team – with the previously snickering ones now finding the ground interesting – she said her farewell, "Stay safe on your way back."

After the Kouen team left the second-string gym, silence enveloped them – everyone anticipating the announcement of the head coach and the second-string coach.

For the deliberation, Coach Matsuyuki gave his own clipboard to Coach Shirogane. As he watched Coach Shirogane check the clipboard, he recalled some of the things they had talked about during their latest Coaches' meeting, which happened days after the third-string match.

...

 _"I see that she has potential, but she's still young, Coach Shirogane. We can't allow her to be the coach during the practice match against Kouen, and move her up to the first-string." Coach Sanada voiced out, after the head coach made a proposal._

 _Coach Shirogane let out a brief and breathy laugh, "Young, like the four first-years in the first-string"_

 _The younger of the first-string coaches didn't find anything to be funny, as he courageously countered, "But, they're players, not a coach."_

 _The senior coach still had a smile on, but the three other coaches knew he wasn't very pleased. Despite this, Coach Matsuyuki asserted, "I agree with Coach Sanada. She could just help me out with the second-string."_

 _Coach Matsuoka joined in, reminding the two of the result of the third-string match, "You both have a point, but you both haven't seen her in a game yet. I get where Coach Shirogane is coming from."_

 _Breaking out from his smile, Coach Shirogane sternly exclaimed, "Enough. I understand." He then gave the two opposing coaches a look, before insisting, "But these first-years are really something. I can't waste this opportunity to create a talented team of freshmen from Teikou, which has the potential to go down in history."_

 _After a slight pause to see if anybody dared to speak, he offered a compromise, "Let Irosuzuka handle the practice match. However, if she fails to win, she won't be promoted to the first-string and she will be given a choice between being a manager and being an assistant to Coach Matsuyuki. Is this fair enough?"_

 _It was._

 _No one in the room objected._

 _The second-string coach was left with intrigue. He only knew Tsumiko as his student from Class 1-A. Yet, the head coach seemed to have so much faith in her. He wasn't sure if Coach Shirogane had full trust in the skills of the second-string members or in the young girl or maybe, both. Oh well, he was going to work with her soon enough and hopefully, he would find answers._

...

And he did.

He felt proud of the girl, and the second-string players seemed to be proud of her as well, as they cheered once Coach Shirogane proclaimed her moving up to the first-string.

It probably gave them hope.

When the head coach gave him the cue, he cleared his throat, before breaking the hope that was seen in the boys' and the girl's eyes.

No one was promoted to the first-string.

The reactions were mixed. Some were obviously disappointed, some – the newbies – were shocked, whereas some – mostly, the starters – were not surprised. The girl was initially startled, but soon after, a flash of understanding and guilt could be seen in her face.

It was expected.

Though, a lot of the second-string members had improved, it wasn't enough. Most of the time, the more one gets stronger, the more he gets retained in the second-string. It was Teikou's policy. There was no choice but to distribute the strong to all strings to secure victory in all and to show everyone that Teikou was indeed a powerhouse in middle-school basketball.

Getting to the first-string was a tough job. This was why the first-years, who immediately became part of the first-string, were far beyond amazing. He finally understood Coach Shirogane's pursuit of a team of formidable freshmen.

* * *

Tsumiko now found herself in the first-string gym, facing the first-string members.

"Everyone! Please welcome Irosuzuka Tsumiko, who will be assisting both me and Coach Sanada in training you guys. She is still a coach-in-training and she will only be an official coach after we assess her performance during the Nationals." Coach Shirogane had broadcast, eliciting a sea of congratulations, that filled the gym.

Flustered, she bowed down and replied, "Thank you! I will work hard."

Coach Sanada gestured everyone to calm down for a moment, as he added, "Moreover, as you all know, Obura is the temporary vice-captain, and for almost two months, the coaches and Nijimura have been assessing you all. As of today, we had already selected someone." He briefly looked at the head coach for confirmation, before announcing, "Now, everyone, please welcome the new vice-captain, Akashi Seijuurou"

Everyone applauded and cheered, and some even remarked, 'As expected of Akashi' 'Well, he is the most obvious choice' 'He really does have it in him'

The first-year still kept his composure and only politely bowed.

Shortly after the announcements, they were all dismissed, with one particular gray-haired first-year rushing towards the exit, right after patting – more like, smacking – the aspiring coach's back, probably as an odd form of congratulations.

Still inside the gym, Tsumiko could only gape at Haizaki's fleeing back. She also saw that the coaches were busy talking to Nijimura. Spotting Akashi, along with Midorima and Murasakibara, she beamed at him, "Akashi-san, congratulations!"

Turning towards her, he returned back the gesture with a polite smile, "Congratulations to you too, Irosuzuka."

A deep voice piped up, as Aomine approached them, "Oi, oi, you two! You should treat us or somethin' "

"Dai – Aomine-kun! Have a little shame." Following behind him, Momoi held a proud expression, "Congratulations, you two!"

"Hey, come on, you two are like super rich. You could at least treat us to ice cream, right?" the tan boy raised his eyebrows playfully – mostly at the white-haired girl.

With the mention of ice cream, the sweets-loving giant drawled excitedly, "Ice cream~ Aka-chin, Iro-chin, let's go eat ice cream~"

This caused a bespectacled boy to scold him, "Murasakibara! Stop drooling!"

The young coach-in-training was very overwhelmed. She was about to take a glimpse at the new vice-captain for his opinion when he spoke up, "Pardon me, everyone. I need to go home immediately after this. Don't worry, I'll be treating you to ice cream next time."

Navy blue eyes then gazed at her, "Irosuzuka?"

Four pairs of multicolored eyes followed suit and looked at her, causing her to blink rapidly and squeak out, "I- I'm free after this. Shall we go then?"

"Alright!" "Okay!" "Yaay~" "Hmph"

One pair of ruby eyes watched the silver-haired girl sweat-drop at the others' reactions, as her lips curled upwards. The red-head blinked once, then bid them farewell, "Well, have fun, everyone."

Snapping towards the source of the cool voice, he waved at him, "Have a safe trip home, Akashi-san."

* * *

Now, how did it become so awkward?

Five first-years were currently outside a convenience store, eating ice popsicles. They were pretty silent, except for the bickering blue and pink duo. The purple one was busy gulping down his third ice popsicle, while the green one was somehow interested at the cars passing by. The white one was calmly eating, whereas her mind was far from being calm.

 _'Why is this so awkward?'_ , _'Well, we never really hang-out together before.'_ , _'What else should we talk about? We already talked about the second-string game and basketball stuff.'_ , _'So this was why Akashi-san bailed out. Knowing him, he probably knows that this would happen'_ and more.

Sometimes, her train of wild thoughts would be broken when the blue and pink childhood friends would join her into their conversation – more like, argument – or when she would ask the green one about school requirements, or when she or the green one would comment on the purple one's unending appetite.

The weird bonding ended with goodbyes and Tsumiko's decreased wealth.

* * *

When she arrived home, she had dinner with both of her parents since her father was home early today. She had told them about the good news and they were ecstatic. Her mother even decided to go out the next day to celebrate.

However, Tsumiko couldn't sleep that night.

She still couldn't believe everything.

Therefore, after a lot of twisting and turning, she decided to text someone,

 _"Hello senpai, are you still awake? Sorry, if I'm bothering you."_

Before she could scold herself for how stupid her question was, a message from Nijimura arrived,

 _"Yo, why are you still up?"_

Followed by another,

 _"Congrats, by the way"_

Turning towards her right, she keyed in,

 _"Thank you. I was just not feeling sleepy yet. How about you?"_

A reply came in immediately,

 _"Me too."_

 _"Thinking about earlier?"_

She quickly typed,

 _"Yeah, I really feel bad for the second-string members. They helped me get to the first-string, instead of me helping them to move up."_

It took less than a minute for the captain to respond,

 _"Hey, you deserve it, idiot. You know it's a Teikou thing"_

Feeling slightly better, she replied,

 _"Thanks."_

 _"I am aware."_

She was about to apologize for telling him her worries in the middle of the night when,

 _"Well, how was your ice-cream trip with the other first-years?"_

Shifting towards her left side, she let a giggle escape her mouth,

 _"Senpai, you were listening?"_

 _"It was good, well a bit awkward, but good."_

Her phone went off after a minute,

 _"You brats were being loud."_

And again,

 _"That reminds me. I still haven't treated you to ice cream"_

Her eyes went wide,

 _"Ah! I almost forgot about it. Well...when will you treat me?"_

Again, she chuckled at his response,

 _"I shouldn't have reminded you.. Fine, I'll just let you know soon"_

Nodding and smiling dumbly at herself, she typed in,

 _"Okay. I look forward to it."_

He then replied,

 _"Sure."_

 _"You must sleep now, you've been looking tired for days already"_

Feeling her cheeks hurt a little from smiling too much, she bit her lips,

 _"I do feel a bit sleepy now. Good night, senpai."_

She spent a few minutes repeatedly reading what he sent her,

 _"Sleep well. 'Night."_

Hugging her pillow tightly, she slept well that night.

* * *

Inside another house – a mansion – the atmosphere was a bit different.

Akashi had gone straight home to have dinner with his father, who, on schedule, just arrived from Kyoto.

His father asked him about school, as usual. He had answered him the same things, _as usual_.

Of course, he didn't forget to add the fact that he had just been selected to be the vice-captain of the basketball team. The Akashi chairman simply replied the usual, 'It's only natural, you're an Akashi. You are expected to be the best at everything', to which he responded with the _usual_ , 'Yes, father.'

And just like that, the conversation ended, and the only sounds heard were utensils grazing on plates.

It probably wasn't as awkward as the five first-years outside the convenience store, but it wasn't necessarily better. Sometimes, not knowing what to talk about could be better than talking about the same things all the _damn_ time.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hope you liked the perspectives of the coaches. How was it? 0.0** **I tried to make it as real as possible.**

 **Next chapter will be... *sings's a certain Coldplay song* (get it? get it? lol okay)**


	10. 真: Chapter 9

**A/N:**

 **Hey hey hey! *in Kimura Ryouhei's voice* (oops wrong anime lol)**

 **First off, thank you to the faves, follows and reviews! Next, to the guest who asked about Niji's sis...sorry, I can't tell you everything yet, but I can assure you that his sister's fine! ;)**

 **And to answer the other review about a certain Coldplay song, well here is the chapter~ * _'and it was all yellow'*_ ;)**

* * *

"Wait, Haizaki-san!"

Tsumiko called out to the ash-haired boy, who had just gathered his things – ready to head towards the first-string gym doors.

The said boy paused in his heels and quirked an eyebrow to the girl, "Ha? What is it?"

Taking few steps towards him, she mentioned her observation, "You didn't seem to have a hard time in doing the new drill earlier."

"It's pretty easy", he shrugged.

It wasn't _that_ easy.

Tsumiko had seen some of the regulars, including some of the first years, namely Murasakibara and Midorima, struggle a bit in learning the new drill. Haizaki, on the other hand, was a very fast learner – something she had noticed after being a coach-in-training of the first string for a few days.

With this, she made a proposition, "I was just thinking that maybe we should add more of that drill to your training regime."

The indifferent expression on his face changed to a slightly agitated one, "Oi!" He pointed a finger at her as he accused, "You're doing this on purpose. That's playing dirty."

She defensively raised both of her hands, "No, I'm not. I just noticed that you learn fast", and sincerely said, "I think it's amazing, Haizaki-san."

At her statement, she watched him snort, "Well, I can't help it."

Normally, Tsumiko would've merely dismissed it as Haizaki being his usual arrogant self. This time, however, she had caught a brief surprised and embarrassed look on his face as she complimented him.

She resisted the urge to tease him, "I'll be suggesting this to the other coaches."

Giving her a small wave, he grumbled, "Yeah, whatever" , before almost bumping onto a raven-heard captain, who was approaching the white-haired girl.

"If only that kid could be a little less impolite", Nijimura voiced out when he got near Tsumiko.

She switched her focus from the back of the said kid towards the second-year, "But he really is good, isn't he?"

In response, he placed his hands on her shoulders, "Mind adding some manners in his training regime?"

A light giggle escaped her lips, "I guess you could ask the other coaches"

Still holding onto her shoulders, he very, _very_ , slightly tilted his head to the side.

"Am I not asking one already?"

.

.

.

Tsumiko blinked.

 _'What.'_

She had been trying hard to resist the blood that had been rushing to her face ever since she felt his hands on her shoulders, but, the sight of him tilting his head – very, _very_ slightly – and his flattering tone, were too much at the moment. She just-

"Excuse me, captain?"

The said captain immediately removed his hands from her shoulders.

The two of them then faced the person who spoke. After seeing the person, Tsumiko released the breath she was holding – letting the blush subside.

"Akashi. What is it?", the older boy calmly asked.

The vice-captain responded, "I just wanted to know if there is anything else that I can help you with?"

With a brief survey at his surroundings, he concluded, "Ah, nothing really. You can go and change now. Thanks, anyways."

"I shall be taking my leave, then."

Once Akashi left, Nijimura faced her, with his usual expression, like everything was just normal, "We should be going too."

But, maybe it _was_ normal for him.

She could only nod at him, in return.

* * *

"Akashi-san!"

Tsumiko called out after she got out of the changing rooms and saw the back of the red-haired boy, who was already walking away from the changing rooms.

The boy paused and turned around, "Irosuzuka."

The girl jogged towards his side and politely asked, "Do you mind?"

He just shook his head before starting to walk again, "You're not walking with anyone else today?"

Following his pace, she answered, "Momoi-san wasn't in the practice earlier."

He hummed a little, "I am aware of that", while casting a playful glance at the shorter girl.

"Akashi-san, I believe I don't understand what you mean."

Oh, she _did_ understand.

Akashi was definitely implying Nijimura.

"Ah, I believe I need to apologize. I could possibly have rudely interrupted you and the captain earlier."

He knew, as expected.

"A-akashi-san, I - uh -", maintaining her composure, she spoke a little more confidently, "There's nothing to apologize for."

"If that's what you say."

There was no teasing tone in the way he had said that, but Tsumiko knew, by the way his ruby eyes glimmered. She was about to retort back, when she saw the familiar back of a green-haired boy, standing somewhere in the middle of the hallway.

"Midorima-san?," she called out to someone for the third time today.

The said boy flinched before turning around to face the white-haired girl and the red-haired boy.

"You seem to be frozen on this spot. What's the matter, Midorima?", Akashi questioned.

"Nothing." he firmly affirmed.

Tsumiko gazed at Midorima's left hand, which was tightly gripping a magazine. He caught her staring, so he immediately said, "Let's go."

As the three walked towards their classroom, Tsumiko observed a group of girls squealing over a magazine, that suspiciously seemed very similar to the one Midorima's currently clutching – a little fiercely, if she may add. That's when she connected the dots and realized the reason why the green-haired boy beside her suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway and why he was very tense.

She glanced at the red head and saw that he had a knowing expression. He probably knew already.

Of course, he was Akashi Seijuurou.

Seriously, what did he not know?

* * *

During lunch break, Tsumiko joined her friends. While eating, they talked about anything, like usual. It was when they were few bites before finishing their lunches that Mizuki remembered something.

"Hey, hey, have you heard? There's a model in our batch", the dark-haired girl shared.

Tsumiko's ears perked up to the news, "Really? Who could that be?"

In contrast, Chitose nonchalantly remarked, "Ah, that Zunon boy? I saw some of my fellow drama club members gathered around a magazine this morning."

"Kise Ryouta of Class 1-E. I heard he's actually a rookie. Apparently, he just had his first photoshoot and it came out yesterday on this month's issue of Zunon boy" Mizuki supplied.

Watching Mizuki fix her ribbon and her black tresses, the silver-haired girl asked, "Oh, have you seen him already?"

"Yeah, some girls already talk about him even before he became a model"

"Hmm, is he your type, then?", Chitose teased.

Mizuki rolled her eyes at the girl with a brown bob, "Not really. Yeah, he's cute and all, but I'm not really fond of blonde guys"

' _Blonde?'_ Tsumiko thought.

A certain blonde boy from the first day of school came to her mind. She also recalled catching sight of yellow down the hallway during the midterms.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a certain green-head entering the classroom swiftly. She then finished her lunch before excusing herself and going back to her seat.

"Midorima-san."

He looked up at the silver-haired girl, who was standing in front of his desk, "Yes?"

She pointed to the magazine that was faced down the table – probably to hide the magazine's cover, "Is that your lucky item for today?"

"Obviously, yes."

Ignoring the sass in the boy's voice, she questioned, "Do you mind if I borrow it?"

"No."

He didn't even hesitate a bit.

Although immediately after not hesitating a bit, he hesitated and regretted a bit, thinking that the girl might take it as him being possessive over some stupid magazine, which girls seem to love – something he had _fearfully_ learned this morning.

 _'It's not just a stupid magazine. It's my lucky item'_ , he defended to himself.

"Do you mind if I just look a little?" She raised her right hand, "It will be very quick, I promise."

He narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before sighing, "Fine. But don't leave this desk", then holding out the magazine to her.

After thanking him, she searched the cover, and saw a text _'Zunon boy juniors- super rookies!'_ and a page number under it. She went to the specified page and flipped some more pages until she saw the familiar blonde, who had the name _'Kise Ryouta'_ beside his picture.

Contrary to the very bright smile of Kise Ryouta, the aura of Tsumiko darkened, as she recalled the first day of school and as she tried to absorb the fact that the cause of that shame was now a model. Now, she doesn't have problems with models, she actually adored them. Although, sometimes she does feel envious on how anything looks good on them.

She forced out a smile, "Thank you, Midorima-san."

Noticing this, he simply uttered, "Uh, sure."

As he watched the girl take her seat, he thought, with slight relief, _'I guess not all girls love this magazine.'_

* * *

Class had officially ended and Tsumiko found herself walking towards Class 1-E. She wanted to talk to the blonde rookie model about – _well_ , she really didn't know what she wanted to talk about. Right now, she was mostly curious – enough to keep her feet moving towards the classroom. She convinced herself by recalling how she did vow to get revenge on 'blondie', though, the closer she was to the classroom, the more she questioned herself and found this to be petty and ridiculous.

Questions like _'What if he doesn't even remember me?'_ , _'Wait, why do I even care?_ ' were running inside her mind but there was one question that caught her attention. It was a question outside her mind.

"Where could Kise-kun be?"

It was from a girl, who was walking away from Class 1-E.

"They said he left a while ago. Let's just ask the others", her companion said.

Tsumiko halted in her steps and contemplated whether she would follow the two girls or not.

' _Definitely not'_ she firmly decided, before turning around and following the two girls.

Don't get her wrong.

When the two girls stopped to talk to other girls, Tsumiko continued to walk. She was needed in the first-string practice, after all.

* * *

The white-haired girl was already done descending the last flight of stairs when something yellow collided onto her from her right side.

Ah, déjà vu.

She managed to fall on her butt, instead on her left arm, but that didn't mean that it hurt any less.

"Ouch", a voice, most definitely not Tsumiko's, was heard.

She looked at the person and saw a very familiar blond-haired boy, who was rubbing his arm and was sitting on the ground.

.

.

.

' _Kise Ryouta?!'_

As he locked eyes on her, yellow ones versus dark ones, he paused for a bit.

 _'He recognized me?'_ was her thought.

He then stood up and gave her a somewhat apologetic smile – along with sparkles – and said, "Ah, I'm sorry", while walking towards Tsumiko – a little too quickly for Tsumiko to finally realize his intentions.

He was going to escape and leave her there. Again.

Tsumiko had three embarrassing falls because of this guy. Now, she refused to fall victim to his half-hearted apology and who-knows-where-it-came-from sparkles. All her previous hesitations and her weak conviction of getting a revenge were all thrown to the bin.

Nothing was petty and ridiculous anymore.

She finally made her resolve. She was going to teach him a lesson – in an elegant way, of course.

Kise was still observing the girl, but when she didn't react at his apology, he decided to sprint away. He needed to get away as soon as possible, because even if these halls were currently empty, his new fanclub would probably catch up to him. Gathering all the momentum, he was about to sprint when his feet caught onto something.

He tripped.

He fell to the ground. Again.

He looked at the girl, who suspiciously had her legs stretched out and was that a slightly satisfied expression on her face?

Don't blame her that much.

In her defense, she initially thought to be as elegant as possible, though, she had recalled that she _did_ change her plans even way back to the first day of school and decided to do things in a not-so-elegant manner. Besides, she's just 12, right?

Not really caring about being childish – only as of this moment – Tsumiko planned to make him fall to the ground face-first. What happened instead was that she had been given a sight of his almost notable reflexes.

"Ah, I'm sorry", she said, while trying to copy him as much as possible. It might not be a _perfect copy_ , but it was sufficient enough to draw a reaction from him.

"Y-you! You did this on purpose! What's wrong with you?", he accused, while pointing a finger at her.

Ah, déjà vu, indeed.

However, unlike this morning, she didn't even try to deny the accusation. She just raised herself up and dusted off her clothes, before looking down to the boy, "I see that you don't remember our first meeting, Kise Ryouta-san."

While he was trying to remember, she continued ,"I do admit that I did a childish thing, but we are children, aren't we? Still, this fact does not justify my actions, so, I apologize." Then, she gave him a polite smile and held out a hand to him.

He faltered a bit before taking her hand and standing up – revealing how much taller he was compared to her. He let go of her hand and fixed his clothes.

"Now, _that_ , Kise-san, is what you should do when you bump into someone. You don't simply mutter a half-hearted apology and run away. Most especially, you must always be mindful, so you won't get to collide into someone _twice_ ", she lectured.

With that, Kise had finally remembered, "Ah! You! From the first day of class?"

"Yes, and I prefer if you refrain from calling me 'you'. My name is Irosuzuka Tsumiko from Class 1-A", she confidently stated.

He snorted.

Her eyes widened.

"Okay, uhh, Irosuzuka-san, I guess I'm sorry about the first day of school, oh and earlier too", he said with the same smile – oh and sparkles.

Despite this, Tsumiko was not convinced at his usual half-hearted apology. Obviously offended, she fiercely asked, "Is that it? That's how you're going to apologize?"

He tilted his head, "It's not enough? Well, what else do you want?"

Unlike Nijimura's, Kise's wasn't cute at all – at least for Tsumiko. Kise was just acting cute, she was sure of this.

"Ah! Of course! An autograph, right? A picture, maybe?", he beamed, but she saw how his eyes were mocking.

"I'm not a fan!"

Her voice echoed through the empty hallway. However, immediately after, somewhere down the initially-empty hallway, footsteps and feminine voices were heard.

They both froze at this, but like earlier, the boy reacted faster and was about to bolt, when the girl reacted and tugged his uniform to stop him.

"You're running away again!", she hissed.

"From them! Not you. Okay from you too, but maybe some other time? Just let me go!", he demanded.

"No. We're not done yet!" she insisted, tightening her grip on his uniform.

"Fine. Get ready to run."

He proceeded to grip her hand – that was, to be fair, gripping his uniform – and dragged her as he dashed.

"Wait! What- Hey, my bag!", she cried as she looked back to her bag, abandoned at the spot where they collided.

They ran for a short distance but due to the speed, they were both tired – well, mostly Tsumiko.

Silver and gold were now decorating an empty room, as they squatted on the floor near the door.

"I'm going to get my bag", the girl declared, as she rose from the floor – only to be pulled back down.

"No, you're not", the boy firmly said, while also firmly holding her hand for the third time today.

Feeling frustrated, Tsumiko asked him a series of questions ,"Why not? Why do I even have to run and hide? Wait, why are you even running away and hiding from your fans anyway? Shouldn't you be acting friendly, like you always do?", immediately regretting the last one as she saw how the boy's expression changed into a darker one.

"Ah, I've been caught, haven't I?"

Guilty for judging him quickly, she slightly lowered her head, "I'm sorry."

Seeing how she suddenly felt ashamed and sorry – as if she wasn't being aggressive earlier, he replied, "No, it's okay." With a more relaxed expression, he remarked, "You seem to be very observant, Irosuzuka-san."

Confirming to himself that she wasn't a fan, he continued to answer her truthfully, "Anyway, I guess you could say I'm not used to it yet. I didn't really expect this attention since I'm still a rookie and it's only my first photoshoot."

After pausing to see her reaction, he went on, when she didn't say anything, "I mean, yes, some girls were already flocking around me before I even became a model, but it still feels weird when they ask for signatures and pictures. Also, since I'm now a model, I can't really brush them off easily anymore."

As the guilt she felt dwindled, she could only scoff, "Wow, could there be any possibility that you could have phrased that in a slightly humbler way, Kise-san?"

"I really tried", he shrugged.

Her eyebrows crinkled a little as she requested, "Oh and can you please let go of my hand now, I believe I can't leave yet, anyway"

Taken aback, he released his hold on her hand and said, "Ah, I'm sorry", without his practiced apologetic smile and sparkles. Instead, he had a genuine and sheepish smile, to which Tsumiko returned with a friendlier smile.

Their smiles faded as they heard footsteps from the hallway and the same feminine voices. When the voices somehow died down, Tsumiko asked, in the quietest way she can, "So, how's being a model? Do you get to try a lot of clothes? Do you get to pick your clothes?", stopping herself from rambling more questions.

His eyebrows cheekily raised at this, "Ah, I see. You seem to be interested in modeling?"

"N-not really." Not wanting him to misunderstand, she admitted, "I'm interested in fashion in general."

He nodded in understanding, "That makes more sense, since you don't seem to be very model-like."

"Wha-" before she could even burst out – obviously offended by his remark – he shushed her.

They heard footsteps again, along with a very faint sound of a phone ringing. Panicking a little, Tsumiko held her breath and instinctively shuffled a little closer to the boy, as if doing that would hide her – especially not when she was, sadly, nearer to the door.

The footsteps grew faint and she almost jumped away from the boy, when she realized how close they were. Fortunately, Kise had held her to prevent her from jumping and making some noise, that could blow their hiding spot. Unfortunately, as Kise became aware of their proximity, an idea came to his mind.

With golden eyes staring straight into dark eyes, he popped a question.

.

.

.

"Can you be my girlfriend?"


	11. 真: Chapter 10

_They heard footsteps again, along with a very faint sound of a phone ringing. Panicking a little, Tsumiko held her breath and instinctively shuffled a little closer to the boy, as if doing that would hide her_ _–_ _especially not when she was, sadly, nearer to the door._

 _The footsteps grew faint and she almost jumped away from the boy, when she realized how close they were. Fortunately, Kise had held her to prevent her from jumping and making some noise, that could blow their hiding spot. Unfortunately, as Kise became aware of their proximity, an idea came to his mind._

 _With golden eyes staring straight into dark eyes, he popped a question._

 _._

 _._

 _._

" _Can you be my girlfriend?"_

...

Tsumiko blanked for a moment.

Cheeky golden eyes still fixated to glazed dark eyes.

It was, however, only for a while.

Because, before she could even recollect her thoughts, the door slid open – revealing a boy in his training wear.

Golden eyes and dark eyes both resigned, as both gold and silver heads turned towards the door.

.

.

.

 _ **Click.**_

It took a clicking sound from a phone camera for Tsumiko to recover, stand up and shriek.

"Wait! This is a misunderstanding. What did you do? Delete it. What's that for?"

"It was for evidence, Irosuzuka. I believe that this is the most efficient method to explain to the _captain_ and to the team why you were late for practice –", a boy with red hair spoke in an unfazed manner.

Gesturing to the bag he was holding on his other hand – that so happened to be Tsumiko's – the vice-captain continued, "– and why you weren't answering your phone. I was tasked, specifically, by the captain to go and find you, and bring you to practice", making sure to emphasize on the word 'captain'.

With the mention of the word 'captain', the coach-in-training lost all rational thought and decided for the _best_ action.

Without hesitations, she squarely reached out for the red-head's phone, only to fail – as Akashi had predicted. Nonetheless, Tsumiko, was persistent, and so was Akashi, who never did back down in any challenges, despite how childish some may seem.

The white-haired girl didn't give up and became more aggressive, while the red-haired boy was still being a gentleman by being cautious enough to dodge – making sure that they wouldn't come into contact to each other. However, because of her forcefulness, she tripped forwards, and Akashi – being the Akashi he was raised to be – caught her just in time.

Tsumiko saw this as a chance to snatch the phone away. It caught him off guard, but Akashi was still quick enough to dodge. Unfortunately, in the process, he had lost his footing and courtesy of the additional weight of the girl's bag and the girl herself, he had tripped backwards.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kise was watching the scene in front of him, feeling so confused and lost. When the other two fell, he gawked and fought so hard to prevent himself from cackling at the odd situation. Seeing that the two were frozen, he took this as a chance to escape.

Oh, he was not going to be part of this – _never_.

* * *

Startled dark eyes stared down at equally startled ruby eyes. The silver-haired girl was currently on top of the red-haired boy, who was still astoundingly clutching his matching red phone.

He blinked.

Her eyes widened even more.

Tsumiko immediately got off him, stood up and bowed to hide her reddening face, "I'm so sorry, Akashi-san. I was too reckless."

Still refusing eye contact, she held out a hand to him.

Akashi took her hand and stood up, as well – feeling _extra_ thankful that the girl still had her head lowered and didn't look up at him, "It's fine. I believe I should also apologize for teasing you. I was not seriously planning to show them the picture."

Listening to his cool voice, she softly pleaded, "Will you delete it, then?"

The sound of the little hum that he did caused her to realize that their hands were still together. She was about to retract her hand when his voice was heard again.

"That depends on your explanation. I'll think about it", he said, while releasing his hold on her hand.

Letting her hand drop to her side, Tsumiko could swear he was messing with her again.

Who knew the Akashi heir could be a little playful and mischievous? But again, he was still 12, isn't he? _But_ then again, he was the best in everything, so maybe, he was also the best in being playful and mischievous?

 _'Yes, that might be it'_ , she concluded.

Feeling recovered enough from the embarrassing things that had happened, she finally looked up to him and showed him a weak glare to counter his sly gaze, as she played along, "Fair enough. Please let me know of your decision after I explain it to you later."

At her cooperation, he gave her an amused smile and she returned it with a similar one and said, "Thank you for getting my bag, by the way", before picking up the said bag from the ground.

He merely nodded, in response.

Looking back to the classroom, she explained, "I left it when this guy here decided to drag – ", only to find the classroom to be empty.

Silver head sharply turned towards red, "Wait, where'd he go?"

Not wanting to show that he, himself, was a bit surprised and that he was disappointed at himself for not noticing the unknown boy leaving, he deadpanned, "He left already."

"Seriously, that guy", she muttered towards herself.

Akashi glanced at the time displayed on his phone and decided not to waste any more time. He then reminded the coach-in-training, "I believe that we should leave too."

Her eyes widened once again, as a certain realization hit her.

"How late are we?"

"Very late."

With that, white and red ran towards the gymnasium.

* * *

It was a bright and sunny morning, but the light-haired girl's day was already beginning to be dark, as she felt her leg muscles ache – not to mention the bruise she got from falling on her butt yesterday.

On the contrary, a certain red-head was having no difficulty on doing the drills, even though he, along with her, was punished to run extra laps for being late to the practice yesterday.

She could only watch with envy, as Akashi effortlessly ran across the court.

"Irosuzuka-chan?"

Tsumiko met the pink-haired manager's eyes for a while and acknowledged her, "Momoi-san", before shifting her focus back to red hair that stood out in the court.

Momoi followed her gaze and voiced out her observation, "Are you okay? You've been oddly staring at Akashi-kun for some time now."

The coach-in-training flinched, and without taking her eyes off the said boy, she calmly denied, "What do you mean odd? I'm observing, Momoi-san"

The taller girl recognized the slightly cold tone of her friend and decided not to pry in any more, "Hmm, okay~ I'll just bring these reports to Coach Shirogane."

In response, Tsumiko showed her a small smile.

Once Momoi left, the silver head's thoughts wandered towards the events yesterday.

...

 _"Coach, captain, I'm very very sorry for being late. On my way here, I ran into a friend of mine, that I haven't talked to for a long time, and I lost track of the time as we chatted. I also left my phone in the classroom. It was a good thing that Akashi-san found it.", the latecomer explained, as she bowed._

 _The vice-captain didn't say anything about her excuse and lowered his head, as well, "I also apologize for not being able to find her on time."_

 _The head coach faced the two first-years and said, "Irosuzuka, I hope this won't happen again. As for you Akashi, go ahead and practice. But you have to run extra laps after to make up. The same goes to you, Irosuzuka."_

 _"Yes, coach", they both answered. Akashi immediately joined the other first-stringers in their practice, whereas Tsumiko stayed on her spot._

 _"Go and get changed, idiot", the captain said, while giving her a pat on the head._

...

Now for some reason, she thought that the pat felt real.

It _was_.

Someone was presently patting – no, _clutching_ – her head.

She really wanted to know who it was, but the weight on her head was preventing her to turn around.

"Oi Murasakibara! You're crushing her head!"

Ah, so that's who.

"Hmm, but Mine-chin, Iro-chin wasn't responding. Right, Iro-chin?"

Tsumiko was still absorbing the shock caused by the humiliating fact that someone was clutching her head, as if it was simply a ball. When she failed to respond once again, the owner of the hand had the nerves to even utter a, "See?"

With this, the tan boy effectively swatted the taller boy's hand away and rushed in front of the girl to examine her, "Oi, Irosuzuka!"

Finally feeling free from Murasakibara's grasp, she fixed her hair as she responded, "Aomine-san", which gained a sigh of relief from the blue-haired boy.

Turning around, she faced the taller boy with a neutral expression, "Murasakibara-san, I apologize for not responding earlier."

Changing her expression to a fiercer one, she continued, "However, I prefer not to be roughly handled that way again." With a deep breath, she asked "Now, what can I do for you?"

With not one bit of remorse, the first-year giant droned on, "Mine-chin and I are done with the drills, can we go now?"

"Oi wait!", Aomine protested. "Irosuzuka, are there more drills I can do? I don't feel like going yet."

The enthusiasm the shorter of the two boys possessed pushed Tsumiko to scan her clipboard. She saw that the two were indeed done with their exercises for this morning.

Thanks to her head almost being crushed, an idea popped in her mind.

"Ah Aomine-san, Murasakibara-san! I think I made a mistake. It seems like you're not yet done."

She then told them the drills they still needed to do, much to the glee of Aomine and to the despair of Murasakibara.

"All right!", Aomine exclaimed, as he hurried back to the court.

In contrast, Murasakibara realized her intentions and narrowed his eyes on the girl, "Iro-chin, I'll crush you."

Feeling braver than usual – thanks to her already-sour mood – she taunted, "Is that so? That might be a good idea, because the more that you crush my head, the more I remember the additional drills I have prepared just for you", while tapping a finger on her chin.

His droopy eyelids abruptly lifted for a brief time, "Fine~ I get it." With a pout, he dragged himself towards the court.

* * *

To make Tsumiko's day even darker, she found herself alone because Mizuki and Chitose both had their respective club activities. Therefore, she planned to try and eat at the rooftop, for a change. As she exited the classroom, however, she noticed that it was unusually noisier down the hallway. With her bento on her hands, she glanced towards that direction – only to find out that her suspicions were right.

He was there.

Kise Ryouta was surrounded by sparkles and oh – by few girls, with some of them carrying bentos in their hands. He was giving them his signature smile, which probably made anyone's day even brighter. This didn't apply to a certain light-haired girl, who was not happy about the blonde boy's rude escape yesterday.

Finally, the boy faced her direction and locked eyes with her – but only for a split second, because he immediately looked away, pretending to not have seen her.

Seeing through him, she felt a vein pop. With another idea on her mind _(she should probably thank Murasakibara for giving her a head 'massage')_ , she walked towards his direction, still not taking her eyes away from him.

This caused the boy to glance at her once again, but this time, he gave her a questioning one. Now, how he managed to do that, without his fangirls noticing, was something Tsumiko found amusing. Despite the gaze he's throwing at her, she still continued walking.

Oh, she was really feeling ferocious today.

Kise was already thinking of what he should do, when he saw her turn towards the classroom that was a classroom away from his.

Dark eyes peeked inside Class 1-C and saw no signs of the blue and pinkette duo.

Actually, her idea was to join Aomine and Momoi for lunch. To do that, she needed to visit their classroom, thus, part of her idea was to make it seem like she was approaching Kise to see how he'd react.

Feeling a little upset to not find the duo, she faced Kise one last time, and discreetly mouthed a 'rooftop, now', as she gestured towards her raised bento. Good thing, Kise was quick to get her message and gave her a subtle nod.

He decided to clear things with the girl.

* * *

The white-haired girl was munching on an onigiri, when the door to the rooftop opened – revealing her expected company at this thankfully-empty rooftop.

His golden hair was shining even more brightly under the sun's rays.

"Sorry, sorry."

He took a seat next to her under the shade, minding a considerable distance from her.

"Have you eaten?", she politely asked.

He sheepishly placed one hand on the back of his head, "Ah, not yet."

With this, the girl handed him her bento, offering an onigiri to him. He muttered a low 'Thanks', before getting one and biting into it.

"My usual lunchmates had their club activities and I couldn't find my friends from class 1-C", she explained.

"Ahh."

.

.

.

"You escaped again, yesterday."

Golden head snapped towards her, "What am I supposed to do? I don't want to get caught in you and your boyfr –"

"Stop. He's a friend"

"Yeah, sure"

"I'm serious", she firmly said, as she threw him a look.

He almost gulped at her look, "Okay, sheesh."

There was a pause before the boy spoke again, "Wait! He took a picture, right?", with horror clearly seen on his face.

"He already deleted it, don't worry", she assured.

Narrowing his yellow eyes at her, he asked, "Are you sure?"

Wearing a confident expression on her face, dark eyes met his, "Yes, he's not the type to keep things like that."

Remembering how the boy from yesterday spoke so politely and appeared to be so collected – as if he just didn't see his friend scooted close to stranger – he found himself convinced of what she just said.

That boy was weird, he felt it.

He shouldn't be associated with this girl anymore – _never_.

"Okay, I get it."

An awkward silence enveloped them once more as they continued eating. This time, she was the one to break it, "Your question yesterday, you weren't serious, right?", only making it even awkward.

Kise almost choked on his last bite of onigiri, "N-no!"

He gulped, "Forget about it, I just wanted to see your reaction."

"I knew it", she nodded in response, before poking fun at him, "Besides, what kind of question was that?"

Feeling a bit offended at her reaction, the rookie model defensively replied, "I don't know. I–", he halted under her scrutinizing gaze, "– well, I just thought that if someone pretends to be my girlfriend, then maybe there wouldn't be as many girls flocking around me anymore", he continued, while feeling embarrassed as the words came out from his mouth.

Why was he even saying this in the first place? No – why was he even speaking with this girl in the first place?

His thoughts were interrupted by a snort.

"I'm sorry, but that is just ridiculous, and what is this, a drama?"

"H-hey! What about you, huh? Falling on top of that boy, heh, so cliché, right?", the blonde first-year countered.

Oh, why was he even participating in this?

"It was an accident!"

Satisfied with her reaction, he childishly sang, "That's what they always say~", making the atmosphere less dull.

Okay now, maybe, he was enjoying it a little.

She comically gaped at him, "Oh my God, I wonder what your fans would think of you when they see you like this."

Dropping his eyelids and flaunting his long eyelashes, the Zunon boy junior smirked at her, "Then, what do you think, my number one fan?"

She playfully hit his shoulder, to which he responded with a dramatic whine, "Ouch, so mean~"

She shook her head, before halting, then, in one swift motion, she stood up and said in a more serious tone, "Kise-san, you should eat some proper lunch now. There's still time."

This sudden shift in her behavior caught him off guard. It somehow reminded him of himself.

Ah, so maybe that's _why_ he was still here.

But then again, this was more reason to stay away from her.

Kise watched her expression become less serious once again, as she placed her hands on her hips, "You still owe me for everything, you know"

Shaking his head at this, he said, "Fine, fine", as he stood up, as well.

Well, there goes his plan called _not-associating-himself-with-this-girl_.

"That reminds me, I still haven't answered your questions about modeling yesterday."

He then pondered a little, "Say, I think it's easier if you see it for yourself. Take it as my token of apology, will you?"

Yup, his plan was _totally_ tossed down from the rooftop.

"Wait, is it really fine for me to go?"

The blonde rookie model slapped himself mentally for even making that suggestion. Nevertheless, as he observed how her dark eyes lit up, he resisted the urge to dismiss everything as a joke and shrugged at her, "Yeah, you can watch."

He saw how she tried to fight her excitement and to remain composed – causing him to show her a teasing expression, after eyeing her up and down, "Of course, it would be more difficult if you want to model too."

"No."

"Watching is fine. Thank you", she flatly said.

Afterwards, he suggested to exchange numbers. Texting each other was definitely less of a hassle than seeing each other at the hallways and talking through their eyes, like earlier. How they managed to do that was still a mystery.

"Okay, I'll update you about the schedule of my next photoshoot. Bye, Irosuzuka-san!", he chirped while waving at her. Accepting that his plan of not having any connections with this girl failed, he smiled one last time before closing the rooftop door.

For some reason, the dark day had finally become brighter for Tsumiko.

With her white phone still on her hands, Tsumiko scrolled down on her messages, triggering more of the events yesterday.

...

 _After finishing her extra laps, Tsumiko saw Akashi, who finished the extra laps faster, waiting by the water fountain._

 _As if he was some psychic_ _–_ _maybe, he was_ _–_ _he looked directly at her. His clear gaze made her jog towards the water fountain._

" _Akashi-san? Were you waiting?"_

 _In response, he handed her a towel, "You should drink water first."_

 _She took the towel from him and muttered a 'Thank you', before drinking water._

 _Her eyes lit up in realization, "Ah! I see, I do owe you an explanation."_

 _He crossed his arms in anticipation._

 _Knowing that this was her cue, she first told him about her unpleasant meeting with Kise during the first day of school, then she continued to the incident today. Of course, she omitted the parts of Kise's personality, her questions about modelling, and Kise's sudden question._

 _Akashi didn't interrupt her as she spoke and at the end, he only nodded, "I see."_

" _Hey Akashi, you done?", the captain asked, as he neared the water fountain._

 _The two first years faced the direction of the captain. The taller first year spoke first, "Yes."_

" _Okay, come with me for a moment." He then glanced at Tsumiko to say, "You can go home now. Don't be late tomorrow."_

" _Yes, yes", she saluted before waving goodbye to the two._

 _It was only when she checked her phone at the changing rooms that she saw an unknown number on her missed calls list. Thinking that it might be Akashi's number because of the registered time of the calls, she sent a message to the unknown number,_

" _Hello, could this be Akashi-san?"_

 _His reply only came in when she was on her way home._

" _Yes, Irosuzuka. I got your number from the captain."_

 _For some reason, Tsumiko imagined Akashi's teasing tone at the word 'captain'._

" _Okay. By the way, have you already decided on what you would do to the picture?"_

 _It took a few minutes for a message to come in,_

" _I find your explanation acceptable. Don't worry, I will delete it. I see no reason to keep it."_

 _Nodding to herself, she typed in,_

" _I'll keep your word, then. Thank you, Akashi-san."_

 _His next reply was the very picture they were talking about,_

" _After sending it to you, I deleted it already. I just thought that you might want a copy. It's up to you now, if you want to keep it or not."_

 _Oh, Tsumiko could really see his playful expression now. On the other hand, she couldn't stop her amused smile from forming as she thought about how thoughtful and sensible Akashi was,_

" _I appreciate the thought, Akashi-san. However, I also see no reason to keep it."_

 _He answered,_

" _If that's what you say, Irosuzuka."_

 _Tsumiko giggled, recalling how he had already uttered the same words before._

...

Once again, she examined the photo. Two figures were squatting near the board, with golden and silver heads turned towards the camera – despite the silver one's back facing the camera.

Tsumiko looked dumb, whereas Kise proved his status as a model – still looking good in a candid photo.

Hearing the bell, she left the rooftop to go back to the classroom – not forgetting to save the picture.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hello! I'm so sorry ;A; I got really busy :(**

 **Anyway, thank you for the follows, faves and reviews! T-T**

 **Hope I got Kise's character right. We know that this ball of sunshine has some darkness in him, especially in Teikou era. But in this chapter and the previous one, his darkness is still a bit milder, because he just started modeling and he still hasn't tried learning some sports and being good at every one of them. Actually, I find him difficult to write (probably even more than Akashi? .o.), since it's kind of hard to balance between his light and dark sides (lol)**

 **For Tsumiko's personality, though Kise said that she reminded him of himself, she's not necessarily two-faced like him. It's more of like she tries to be mature, but sometimes, her childish side just shows. "She's just 12, right?" (lol) It's something like Kise being a bit immature too. Am I making sense? (lol) Idk anymore.**

 **Next, Akashi! How do you like his moments with Tsumiko? :)** **I think I haven't explicitly declared this, but I guess you already know anyway (lol) There will be a development between Akashi and Tsumiko** **. I did say that the pairings could change in the future, so, who's gonna end up with Tsumiko is a secret~~~ ;)**

 **Don't worry, this is not GOM x Tsumiko. This is Nijimura x Tsumiko and Akashi x Tsumiko.**

 **Phew, I said a lot. Let me know about your thoughts in the reviews~ :)**


	12. 真: Chapter 11

**A/N:**

 **Hey, I'm back!**

 **I'm so so sorry. T-T**

 **If you've read my other KNB story _'How do cupids look like?'_ , I mentioned that it was sort of a preview for this chapter. I also said that I was already done writing this chapter. That was true, but unfortunately, I was unable to find time to edit and re-check this chapter. The past month has been so hectic for me and honestly, I kind of lost motivation. :(**

 **But! I'm back~**

* * *

"This is impressive, Momoi-san!" Tsumiko chirped, staring at the report of the pink-haired manager.

"I agree. You even found out their shoe sizes, for some reason", Coach Sanada commented, as he flipped through the pages of her report.

Feeling embarrassed, and blaming herself for overdoing things and failing to omit that part in her report, Momoi lowered her head, "A-ah, I'm sorry!"

Coach Shirogane laughed a bit at her, "It's okay Momoi, the more information, the better. Who knows, their shoe sizes might come handy someday. Keep it up." He then gestured the two girls to go ahead, and watched as the two girls head towards the group of first year boys, who were taking a break on the bench. He then faced his fellow coach and said, "These first years are really promising, aren't they?"

Seeing the satisfied and proud expression of the head coach, the younger coach could only agree.

* * *

"Momoi-san, you're amazing! I still can't believe you even bothered to look up their shoe sizes."

At the aspiring coach's teasing, Momoi explained, "Mou, Irosuzuka-chan~ I was asking Dai-chan's shoe size and looking up some shoes, when I was researching about them, so I guess I impulsively got their shoe sizes too."

"Stupid Dai-chan! Stupid shoe size!" she ranted, while covering her face – not seeing that they were already at the bench, where 'Dai-chan' and the others were.

"What'd you say, Satsuki? What're you telling Irosuzuka now, huh?"

Suddenly hearing that very familiar voice closely, she removed her hands from her face, only to see her childhood friend's very familiar face close to her own. Startled, she jumped away from him, which earned a nasty glare from him.

"Shoe size, I heard shoe size", Haizaki piped up boredly. Upon realizing what he just said, his face crinkled in a judgmental one, "Shoe size? The fuck you girls talkin' 'bout?"

With this, Midorima paused in drinking water, and gave the two girls a look. Murasakibara was still munching some of his snacks, but he also stared at the two girls. On the other hand, Akashi was only calmly tying his shoelaces, already knowing the answer, as always.

The two girls were confused, as they looked at each other and telepathically asked each other, _'Why are they looking at us like that?'_

Akashi decided to not waste time anymore and spoke, "Momoi was asked to research about teams of some schools, so they might be talking about that, am I right?"

That last part didn't t really seem to be a question, yet Momoi still answered, "Y-yes, and I impulsively got their shoe sizes because I was also asking Aomine-kun about his shoe size."

"Sounds stupid", Haizaki spat.

Midorima dismissed everything as trivial and regretted wasting his time, and announced, "I'll be training now."

Murasakibara simply finished his last piece then followed after Midorima. Akashi just nodded to the two girls before going towards the court. Seeing that Aomine wasn't making a move, Haizaki decided to go ahead, as well.

"Sheesh, Satsuki, just ask her already", Aomine randomly blurted out.

Momoi shushed him, "Aomine-kun!"

While Tsumiko was feeling lost, the childhood friends were having a brief stare down, until the girl finally gave in and faced her.

Her pink-haired friend took a deep breath before speaking, "Um, Irosuzuka-chan, are you free tomorrow?"

"We didn't get to buy the shoes Aomine-kun liked last time, so we will be looking for new shoes tomorrow and I thought that you might want to come along? I also want to go shopping and – But! If you already have plans, it's okay", she prattled while anxiously playing with her fingers.

In the background, Tsumiko could see Aomine gesturing her to go ahead and accept the invitation. She mentally giggled at this, before replying with a sweet smile, "Sure. I don't have plans tomorrow."

After hearing this, the taller girl took her hands and cheerily said, "Yay, thanks Irosuzuka-chan! I am so excited!"

The tan boy then lightly bopped the back of his childhood friend's head, before sprinting to the courts. This caused Momoi to puff her cheeks, while glaring at his back and rubbing the spot that he hit.

* * *

Black, white and red were exiting the coach's office. Immediately after their meeting with the coaches, Akashi excused himself to go ahead – leaving the other two.

"Hey, want to stop by a convenience store? I'll treat you to ice cream now", the captain asked as soon as the vice-captain left.

Tsumiko snapped her head towards the older boy, "Eh?"

"Now? Tanaka-san will be taking me home today", she continued, with a worried expression on her face.

"Ah, that's right", he replied, with a neutral expression on his face.

"But! I haven't texted him yet. I'll just ask him to pick me up the convenience store later."

He watched her expression change from a worried to an optimistic one, as he found his own expression change to a positive one as well.

"Great. Better hurry up, then", he said as they entered their respective changing rooms.

* * *

Black and white were now walking side by side, with a distance that could allow their hands to brush – which could potentially lead to them holding hands, like in dramas and shoujo mangas.

Now, only if their hands were free.

The boy had his hands on his pockets.

The girl's hands held her bag in front of her.

This unfortunate and frustrating thing went on until they reached the convenience store.

After buying ice popsicles, the two middle-schoolers stepped outside the convenience store and once again, stood next to each other – this time, with a cold treat occupying each of their hands.

They ate in silence for a few minutes and while eating the ice popsicle, Tsumiko recalled that one time she had treated the other first years – sans Akashi and Haizaki – to the same ice popsicle. This thought caused her to recall the events earlier during practice.

"Um, senpai, is it strange to know the shoe sizes of people?"

At the randomness of the question, Nijimura simply quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I mean, you know Momoi-san managed to gather the shoe sizes of some teams, and when Haizaki-san and the others heard Momoi-san and I talking about it, they gave us odd looks. Is it that weird to talk about shoe sizes or something? I don't really get what's wrong with it", she supplied before continuing to eat the cold treat.

It was a good thing that Nijimura just finished eating the ice popsicle because he could've choked on it as he listened to her account. He had an idea, of course. He was a male teenager undergoing puberty too. Now, how can he explain to her the baseless rumors about the correlation of foot size to –

' _Damn those shitty first-year brats'_

"Dunno, they're probably just being stupid like their usual selves", he answered, and thankfully, the younger girl accepted it.

Realizing that the place was getting hotter for some reason, he went on, "Anyway, I'm going to buy one more popsicle. Do you want one?"

"No, thank you", she replied, while showing the almost-finished popsicle on her hand.

He then proceeded to buy another one and as he started eating, Tsumiko blurted out something that made him choke – _almost_.

"It really is getting hotter these days, isn't it?"

If only she knew that her statement had just assured him, somehow. He was beginning to think that him feeling warmer was because he was placed in an awkward situation with the stupid shoe size thing – but hey, _maybe_ , it really was just because of the weather.

Bullshit.

After gulping down the piece that threatened to obstruct his airways, he managed to croak out a "Yeah, sure is."

This didn't go unnoticed by Tsumiko, as she looked up at him worriedly, "Senpai, are you okay?"

' _No'_ was in his thoughts.

"Yes" was what he responded.

' _Fuck those first-years'_

Fortunately, the first-year next to him just nodded and averted her eyes away from him. He decided to focus on the frozen snack to cool himself.

After a few quiet moments, he saw a black car approaching the store. Before he could even ask the girl next to him , she spoke, "Ah, Tanaka-san's here."

"Hmm-kay", he mumbled, with the popsicle still on his mouth.

She moved to his front and gave a slight bow, "I'll be going, then. Get home safely. Thank you for the treat!"

After gulping down the last of the ice cream, he replied, "Sure, sure. You, too"

She turned around and walked towards the parked car. However, after taking the first step, she felt a hand tugging hers backwards.

"Wait!"

Tsumiko halted and faced Nijimura, only to see his delighted expression – it was a rare one, by the way.

He held up the popsicle stick on his left hand, that had certain characters engraved, then exclaimed, "I won!"

Due to the wonder she felt seeing the winning stick, her initial thoughts about how warm his hand was and how larger it was compared to hers, were forgotten.

Excitedly, she removed her hand from his hold. With both of her hands, she clasped his other hand, which held the popsicle stick.

"I can't believe that it really is possible to win in these kind of things!", she said as she investigated the stick – not releasing her hold on his hand.

"Senpai, what are you supposed to do after this? How do you claim the prize?"

The shorter girl looked up at the boy, with wide dark eyes – only to be met by his striking dark ones.

He didn't know what got into him, but after noticing how her gaze changed from a curious one to a realizing one, he intuitively placed his other hand above her hands to keep them on their place on his hand.

"I think we just have to show it to the cashier inside", he replied – feeling weird and confused at what's happening.

Tsumiko was about to be dumbstruck, but she remembered that Tanaka-san was still waiting, so she turned around towards the car. Following her gaze, Nijimura momentarily snapped to his senses and removed his hand that was on top her hands.

They both saw that the driver seat window was down and revealed Tanaka-san, who was simply watching their exchange. This caused Tsumiko to retract her hands.

"Um, Tanaka-san, we'll just claim a prize for a minute, if that's okay? I'm really sorry for making you wait", she informed him, as she looked at him apologetically.

Tanaka simply nodded and with this, her excitement about winning was back. This excitement had given her enough boldness, as she took one of the older boy's hand and pulled him back to the convenience store door.

Nijimura, who became even more confused, allowed himself to be pulled, with one confusing thought on his mind.

' _I won.'_

* * *

A certain silver-haired girl, wearing a green shirt beneath a white short overalls, was waiting in front of the station. She was then greeted by a yawning tall navy blue-haired boy in a dark gray shirt and jeans, and an energetic pink-haired girl in a purple striped shirt and purple skirt.

"You're so cute, Irosuzuka-chan~", Momoi bubbly said.

"You too, Momoi-san. I really like your skirt."

"See? I knew you would understand! Dai-chan kept on saying that this skirt is ugly. He just doesn't have taste", the pink-haired girl complained before sticking her tongue out to the boy. He did the same and Tsumiko could only giggle at the sight.

"You two are so cute", Tsumiko semi-squealed.

"I believe you meant, _I'm_ cute, since this boy right here is not cute at all", the slightly taller girl corrected.

The mentioned boy clicked his tongue then held the white-haired girl's shoulders from behind, "You think you're cute? Irosuzuka, here, is the only one who's cute since I'm handsome and you're –" he paused when he saw the sight of his childhood friend cutely – no, stupidly – puffing her cheeks and glowering at him, "–stupid", he finished.

"You meant pretty, right Aomine-san?"

"Pretty stupid, yes."

"Dai-chan, you idiot!"

Before another childish fight between the other two could break out, the aspiring coach decided to be the more mature one, "Alright, you two, that's enough. Let's go now, okay?"

Momoi then clung to her arm, "Let's go, Iro-chan!"

Tsumiko noted the change in nickname, and she immediately knew what those eyes hoped for. Dark eyes just couldn't resist those expectant pink eyes, "Sure, Momoi-chan?"

"Yay! That's fine."

"Okay, you two, hurry up", Aomine said while pushing the two girls forward.

The trio first looked for new shoes for the boy, and this time, they were successful in buying a pair that the boy liked.

"I can't believe we got that discount. That was awesome, Momoi-chan!", Tsumiko remarked, as she replayed in her head the way her pink-haired friend haggled.

Proud at her bargaining skills, Momoi shrugged, "Well, we could've gotten a larger discount if _someone_ didn't threaten the salesperson", then glared at that 'someone'.

That 'someone', who happened to be the only boy in the trio, retorted, "Oi! That guy's a pervert. He was looking at both of you with lewd eyes."

Once again, Tsumiko went to the middle of the two, "Now, now, why won't we shop for clothes?"

Momoi clung to her once again, "Yeah!"

"Yeah~" Aomine overenthusiastically said – mocking the girl in the ugly purple skirt.

Truthfully, Tsumiko didn't expect Aomine to tag along with them while shopping. However, after seeing how the boy glared at those who dared stare at them –especially at the girl in the purple skirt – she wasn't surprised anymore. She wondered if Momoi was aware but seeing how the pink-haired girl acted normally, she thought that maybe she wasn't aware of it or maybe she was just used to it.

Tsumiko couldn't help but smile at these thoughts, while she was browsing some clothes.

With her mind being occupied, the girl in the white short overalls failed to notice the intense stare-down of the childhood friends, that was happening behind her.

Blue eyes versus pink eyes.

Words were being spoken through their eyes, and somehow, blue eyes resigned.

The owner of said blue eyes then drawled, "Ahh, I'll just go to the arcade. Let me know if you're done."

Hearing this, Tsumiko turned around to look at her friends.

"Sure, Dai-chan!", Momoi chirped, feeling very satisfied that Aomine will finally leave. The two actually had agreed that he would leave once they find his shoes, so that she can have her girl time. However, he ruined the plan by deciding to tag along with them.

"See you later, Aomine-san", Tsumiko said as Aomine left them.

Unfortunately, the girl time lasted for almost an hour only, since Tsumiko was already being asked to go home by her mother. She managed to bargain with her mom and she was allowed to stay a little longer to eat snacks with them.

On the way to the café, Momoi asked the question she really looked forward to ask the other.

"Iro-chan, do you have someone you like?"

Caught off guard, the white-haired girl stuttered, "M-momoi-chan! That's really random."

"Well, do you?"

Noticing how the girl next to her sounded strangely serious, she asked, "Is this some sort of training for your data gathering?"

It was the pink-haired girl's turn to be caught off guard, "Eh? N-no, not really."

Satisfied at her reaction, Tsumiko playfully grinned, "I was just kidding."

But seeing her friend still expecting her to answer, she then hummed before deciding to be more honest, "Maybe? I'm not really sure, but I believe so."

"He's from the team, right?"

The coach-in-training of the team stopped in her steps, as she paled, "Wha–"

The manager of the team paused as well, and interrupted, "Captain?"

Tsumiko gasped and was about to deny, when Momoi continued, "Vice-captain?"

Tsumiko closed her mouth and gave Momoi a puzzled look, "Huh? Wait, what made you think I like Akashi-san?"

"So, Nijimura-senpai, then."

.

.

.

Tsumiko's face fell at this.

After recovering from the shock, she deadpanned, "You tricked me", before continuing to walk towards the café.

With Momoi's slightly longer legs, she caught up with her, "Sorry, Iro-chan~"

Tsumiko simply sighed and playfully pouted, "With your bargaining skills and slyness, I can now see why you're good at data gathering."

"Mou, Iro-chan~" Momoi sang at her friend's teasing, as they reached the café.

* * *

While waiting for their orders, Tsumiko asked her companion the same question.

"Eh? No one" was her response, which led to dark eyes narrowing at her.

"It's true", she insisted.

The silver-haired girl tried to push some more, "Hmm, how about Aomine-san?"

Pink head shook in denial, "Come on, we're just childhood friends."

Knowing that the girl across her was saying the truth, Tsumiko nodded then crossed her arms, "I see. If you like someone, please let me be the first person you'll tell. You're actually the first person I told this about."

With this revelation, pink eyes widened, as she beamed, "Really? I'm glad, Iro-chan! Don't worry, I shall tell you first."

"Even before Aomine-san?", Tsumiko playfully challenged once more.

"Iro-chan first before Dai-chan!"

The two girls giggled at their own antics – but only for a little while, as a sudden concern formed inside the mind of Tsumiko.

"Wait, is it really obvious that I kind of, you know, l-like him?"

Pink strands swayed as the other girl slightly titled her head to side, "Hmm, I don't know. Well, I don't think so. I mean, yes you two are close, but you're a coach-in-training and he's the captain, so it's not really weird if you're close. Besides, almost everyone in the team seems to be basketball idiots, so they might not notice."

They both smiled knowingly at the latter part of the previous statement, before Tsumiko asked once more, "Well then, how did you know?"

Without even blinking, Momoi responded, "Woman's intuition, I believe."

This caused them to chuckle once again, before Tsumiko threw another question referring to Akashi this time, "How about the other one? Why did you even think that I might, uh, you know?"

All the same, Momoi didn't even blink but it took her few seconds more to answer, "Um, that was just random." She then blinked and cheerily spoke, "To trick you! It worked, right?"

Tsumiko wondered for a second if Momoi's voice was in a higher pitch than usual, but she ignored it and dismissed it as insignificant, because she was still in awe about their team manager's talents.

"Oh Momoi-chan, you're so cunning."

At her comment, Tsumiko observed pink eyes darting away from her dark ones. Before, she could even be suspicious and think anything else, she saw the girl across her raise one hand, as she hollered, "Ah, Dai-chan! Here!"

With the arrival of their companion and the completion of their trio, girl time had officially ended.

* * *

When Momoi arrived home, she went to her room and opened a cabinet with few notebooks inside. She took a certain notebook and flipped through it, until she saw a photo placed in between the leaves.

It was a photo of Tsumiko and Akashi together – more of like Tsumiko was on top of Akashi. It was taken at a far distance, so their faces weren't really clear, but those white and red tresses weren't easy to miss.

The thing is that during that time, she was tasked to follow Akashi when he wasn't back. She was about to call his phone when she managed to catch a glimpse of his red hair at the door of a classroom in an empty hallway. She saw him moving and dodging, but what she saw next was white crashing on top of red. As if in instinct, she found herself preparing her phone for a picture, failing to see an escaping yellow-haired fellow. She immediately snapped a photo and ran back to the gym, telling the coaches and captain that she didn't find the two.

Now, Momoi really didn't know why she did that, and more importantly, why she even developed the said picture.

' _Woman's intuition'_ was her answer – as always.

Somehow, she knew that there might be something more in store for Tsumiko and Akashi. Personally, she thought they were cute together. However, after confirming who Tsumiko really liked earlier, she thought that maybe she was just being stupid, like what Dai-chan have always told her.

Deciding that she would support her silver-haired friend and maybe even try help her get closer to their captain, she placed the photo back, hid the notebook very well and deleted the photo on her phone. She can't let Dai-chan or anyone else see the picture.

"Satsuki, what the hell are you doing?"

Speak – or in this case, think of the devil and here he comes.

"Dai-chan! D-don't you know how to knock?"

The navy blue- haired boy crossed his arms, as he leaned on the door, "Since when did I knock?"

Still holding her phone, as she sat on her bed, she glared at him, "Well, it's time you knock. Were not children anymore."

"Not children anymore, huh? So that's why you're looking at your phone in a very weird way?"

With a smirk, he easily and quickly approached her.

"What? No! What are you – Hey!", Momoi cried as she dodged her phone from Aomine's reach.

"C'mon, Satsuki, what're you hiding?", Aomine teased, as he tried to grab the phone once again.

"Dai-chan! Wait – Ah!"

Everything was just so fast, and the next thing Momoi knew was that she found herself lying on her bed, conveniently under Aomine. Thanks to his skills and instinct, he managed to balance himself so that he didn't crush onto her, but this didn't change the fact that they were now so close to each other.

Ah, if only she knew that what happened now was similar to the context behind the photo of Tsumiko and Akashi that she took.

Once again, blue eyes and pink eyes were having a stare-down.

Blue eyes resigned – _again_.

Aomine moved away and sat at her bed, while she still absorbed what had happened.

"You're so fucking weird, Satsuki."

That insult caused her to pull herself together. Annoyed, she tossed her phone to him, only to be thrown back at her.

"Geez, I was just kidding, you moron. You just looked so serious, it's creepy."

Being an expert at 'Dai-chan language', Momoi understood what he meant. Feeling a bit touched at his concern, she rose from her position and knelt beside him. She then poked his cheek and cooed, "I'm fine, Dai-chan~"

Seriously, why did her white-haired friend even think that there's something more between her and her childhood friend.

Whatever Tsumiko's reason was, Momoi was convinced that it was probably not because of woman's intuition.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Finally! They held hands :) I** **f you noticed, Kise has held Tsumiko's hand the most before this chapter happened (lol, even more than Akashi)** **Niji, honey, so** **rry, if your turn came later ;A;**

 **Well, how was the shopping scenes of the trio and the girl time? Also, I h** **ope you don't mind Aomine and Momoi moments. These two will play a role, as I build some parallels.**

 **Anyway, I wish to hear more from you. Reading your thoughts about this story will really help motivate me. T-T Thank you!**

 **Lastly, many thanks to all the faves, follows and reviews! :)**


	13. 真: Chapter 12

The preliminaries for the Nationals happened more quickly than the aspiring coach had expected. Fortunately, the Teikou basketball team was already considered qualified for the Nationals.

Aside from the basketball team, most of the Teikou clubs were also busy that week, so Tsumiko found herself eating alone at the rooftop.

It reminded her about the time she was with Kise. So far, she had only seen him mostly at the hallways, and they only briefly and – most of time – subtly greeted each other. They also very rarely texted each other. This made her wonder how his last photoshoot went. It happened this weekend and he had texted her about it beforehand. Unfortunately, she was busy with the preliminaries and she had to apologize and explain to him.

The rest of their text messages went like this,

" _Ehhh?! You're a coach-in-training of the basketball team? That's cool Irosuzuka-san! Good luck, then! Be careful not to be crushed by the tall, tall, and tall basketball players~"_

" _I appreciate your concern."_

" _That's cold, Irosuzuka-san~ I'm just worried about my number one fan..."_

" _Have fun on your photoshoot, Kise-san."_

" _Thanks-ssu~ I'll let you know about the next one. Hmm or maybe not... Just kidding!"_

As she scrolled through the messages on her phone, she had two realizations. First, the simple cellphone charm with one small pink popsicle – the prize she and Nijimura got from the winning popsicle stick – dangling on her phone, had indeed given her white phone some color and life. Her mom had noticed the charm just a few days after it was given to her, and flustered, she had to lie about where she had bought it – saying that it was from her shopping trip with Momoi and Aomine.

The other realization was that Kise could apparently be chatty and somehow, _loud_ in his texts. In addition to that, he was also being both mean and kind to her – teasing her and yet, still keeping his promise of informing her about his photoshoot schedule.

Aside from the blonde boy, the basketball team – with such busy schedule – had also been noisy the past several days, so Tsumiko felt that being alone in this rooftop was a refreshing change of atmosphere – or so she thought.

Her hopes were immediately shattered when someone yawned and groaned somewhere above her.

She froze.

She could've just remained calm and un-bothered or she could've just escaped and flew back inside the building. Instead, being the genius that she was, she scooted herself closer to the wall – as if it would absorb her in time. She heard more shuffling noises until she heard feet landing on the ground, followed by dragging footsteps.

A bit offended that the wall rejected taking her, she prepared herself to turn and face the approaching person, but she was interrupted by a startled – with an extra little voice crack – scream, followed by a 'The fuck?!'

Recognizing the voice, she looked up at the person, "Haizaki-san!"

She dumbly stared at the boy, who still had his face frozen in a grimace. This went on for a few more seconds, until a stomach growling broke the growing silence.

Tsumiko bit back a teasing smile, as she saw the boy look away and glare at the same wall, that refused to hide her, and remarked, "I'm guessing you haven't eaten lunch yet."

"Shut up", the ash-haired boy then flatly said, "Just woke up", as he messed up his already messy hair.

"How long have you – ", realizing that lunch time just started, she accused him, "You skipped class, didn't you?"

" _Halfway_ through a class", he corrected – stressing that there _was_ a difference between skipping a class and half of a class – before giving her a pointed look, "It was boring. The hell do you care?"

Despite being taken aback by his question, she reminded herself to be professional and mature – as always, "As a coach-in-training, I believe it wouldn't be good if you, a member of the basketball team, get bad grades."

He sighed, "I just need to pass, don't I? As if skipping a class – fucking half of a class – would fuck up my grades. I'm pretty good y'know?", then scoffed, "What're you even doing here, eating _alone_ , anyway?"

"W-well, my friends were busy with their club activities and I believe it's a good change of pace to eat here", she defensively stated.

Haizaki merely sneered at her, obviously not convinced. This caused her resolve of being mature to weaken, with a comeback forming inside of her head.

"Besides, you were also taking a nap here _alone_ and now that I think about it, you must've been tired from the preliminaries. I believe we need to improve more on your endurance by increasing some of your drills", she declared, gaining confidence as she watched his face contort in mild terror.

"You little shit. I swear – ", he paused when a meatball was shoved in front of his face.

"That was a joke. Before improving your endurance, you guys still need to have some sort of recovery time, and part of it is eating properly. Here, have a meatball, Haizaki-san", she offered, with a satisfied smile on her face.

His brows knitted for a moment before he pushed past the meatball. He then placed his palm heavily on top of her head, "Nah. Eat and grow more, tiny-san~", giving her a smug grin, as he left the rooftop.

* * *

The first-string practice ended earlier, given that most of the first-string members were still exhausted from the preliminaries. It was only a brief and rare piece of rest because they still need to train for the Nationals – sort of like a glimpse of heaven before they all go back to hell. Sadly, for a certain coach-in-training, she couldn't bask in this rarity, as she was tasked by the head coach (by now, she was convinced that he was the devil wearing an angelic smile) to go visit the second-string and help Coach Matsuyuki, as part of her training.

When she got to the second-string gym, she was greeted by the members. The amount of playful 'Coach!' was really making her embarrassed. Someone even shamelessly shouted an 'I miss you', causing the others to snicker. She could only give them a weak glare as she chortled as well.

After practice, she chatted with the second-string members for a while. She did miss them as well, even if she only got to be with them for a short time. Among them, she was closer to one particular member, Kogure, since he was the only first-year among those who were with her back in the third-string. He also happened to be Mizuki's friend and Haizaki's classmate at Class 1-D.

"By the way, Kogure-san, I heard from Coach Matsuyuki that you've been improving rapidly. He even said that if you kept going at this pace you could be one of the second-string starters and might actually qualify for the first string by next year."

"Eh? He really is embarrassing me. But I guess, it's also thanks to you, coach", he said with a wink.

She could only sigh at him, before she curiously gazed at him, "How's Haizaki in class by the way?"

"Haizaki? Hmm, I haven't really talked to him much, so I don't know. He doesn't really look friendly but he's quite popular with girls." He paused for a while, before remembering something, "Oh! He got in a little trouble earlier since he skipped class and – "

"Half a class."

Both of their eyebrows raised at her interruption, and before he could even continue, she clarified, "T-that's what he said. I saw him...earlier."

Kogure slowly nodded – prompting her to further explain, "I'm just worried since the Nationals is near. Please don't get any other strange ideas, especially since there's a big chance that you'll relay this to Mizuki-chan."

At the mention of their mutual and information-loving friend, Kogure understood what she meant and grinned, "Okay, don't worry, Irosuzuka."

On her way to the school gates, she saw the back of a familiar teal-haired boy standing near the gates. She was about to call out to him when an idea struck in her mind. She hurried towards the boy with quiet steps. Thankfully, the boy seemed to be engrossed into something, as he didn't even move a bit. She was now tiptoeing towards him and when she was inches behind him, she moved a little to his side and semi-yelled a "Kuroko-san!"

This caused the boy to slightly flinch and back away a little. He immediately recovered and flatly said an "Irosuzuka-san", with his usual poker-face.

His reaction wasn't much but it was enough for her to giggle lightly, "So you could also be surprised, Kuroko-san."

"That wasn't very nice, Irosuzuka-san."

"I apologize, I just wanted to try it out."

She then noticed that Kuroko was clutching his phone, "You just seemed to be absorbed at something."

Placing his phone inside his pocket, he replied, "I was just reading a message from a childhood friend. He's now in a different junior high."

He then started to walk and asked her, "Are you heading home now too?"

Tsumiko nodded and started to walk as well, "I get why you're so focused. I also have a close friend back in elementary, but she's now in London."

Thinking about it, the last time she had talked to her friend, Igarashi Sena, was back in spring, when she was still in the third-string. She made a mental note to try and call her soon.

The boy's soft voice broke her thoughts, "I see. That friend of mine was the one who taught me the basics of basketball."

She noticed the small smile adorning the boy's face, as he probably reminisced about his friend, "Wow, you must be really close, and I'm guessing he's also in his school's basketball team? By the way, how's the training going?"

Kuroko paled at her last question, startling her, "Sorry, you don't have to – "

He cut her off, "No, it's just that – ", he sighed, "I don't know if I'm getting better or worse."

Not wanting to leave an awkward silence, she immediately asked, "Is this about your shooting?"

"Yes, I still can't make a proper basket."

Thinking that she might've made things gloomier, she further inquired, with a little more positivity, "How about your passes? I think you're better at passing."

She sensed that he brightened up a little as he answered, "Coach Matsuoka did say that I was decent at passing." However, baby blue eyes were still set at the road ahead of them.

Still trying to cheer him up, she continued, "Oh, how about the exercises I've told you to do before, are you still doing them?"

This sparked something within the boy as he finally met her gaze, "Ah, that's right, I do. I think it helped a lot in my endurance. I rarely vomit anymore."

She cheered at him, "That's good to hear! See, you're improving, Kuroko-san."

Her smile, however, faltered, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help you as much as before, but you can always approach me if you need something."

"I appreciate it, Irosuzuka-san, but you don't have to worry about me. You must focus on your own training and on the Nationals more."

Feeling a bit relieved at his words, she nodded, "We also have to worry about the final exams."

"Ah, yes. That reminds me, I'm currently reading a novel right now, you might want to read it too, Irosuzuka-san, or I can also lend you the novel I was reading last time", he said in full nonchalance.

' _He's not that upset anymore'_ , Tsumiko thought, before playing along, "Tell me about them some other time, Kuroko-san. I'll be heading this way. Bye!"

"I shall. See you at school, Irosuzuka-san", he said as he moved towards the opposite direction.

* * *

"I can't believe it's already the first week of July. I'm so excited for the summer break, but there's still the final exams to think about", Mizuki said as she packed her finished bento.

Thankfully, Kogure seemed to not tell Mizuki about last time, since she hadn't been bombarded with questions about Haizaki being the person she liked. She couldn't let Mizuki and Chitose have wrong assumptions, especially when she still hasn't found the right moment to tell them about her crush on Nijimura.

Tsumiko dismissed her thoughts, "Yeah, but I don't think I'll be relaxed this summer break because of the Nationals and the training camp."

"Aww, I feel so sorry for you, Irosuzuka-chan. But you can do it!"

Taking a paper bag her ballerina mom had handed her this morning, she excused herself, "Thanks! I'll bring the tutu Chitose-chan borrowed for to the drama club now."

"Want me to go with you?", the dark-haired girl asked.

"No, I'll be fine."

Oh, how she wished to take back what she had said.

The drama club was initially only using the mini theater as their headquarters, but less than a month ago, the school granted the drama club with an extra room. It was a room that's mostly used for storage and for some club meetings. The main problem was, she had never been to the drama club room before, and now she stood in between two rooms that looked similar and didn't have proper signages.

The doors of both rooms were similar in that they're not fully decorated, unlike the other club room doors. She couldn't figure out the meaning of the very little amount of decorations placed in each of the two doors, so she hypothesized that the door with the lesser decorations would be that of the drama club since it was a new room for them. She tested her hypothesis and luck, and opened the door with lesser decorations.

"Excuse me, I –"

She blinked.

 _He_ blinked.

"Hello, Irosuzuka."

His calm voice echoed inside the empty room, leading the girl to realize her mistake.

"Akashi-san, I'm sorry. I was just going to hand something to the drama club and I believe that I got the room wrong?"

"I see. This is the shogi club room. The drama club room is the one next to this room."

"Thank you so much. I'll be going now."

She then closed the less decorated door. Afterwards, she rushed towards the next door, feeling awkward and relieved at the same time. It was somehow better that Akashi was the one inside that room, instead of someone she didn't know.

After dropping by the tutu at the new drama club, her curiosity got the best of her and she decided to peek inside the shogi club room once more.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw how the visitor was literally peeking from the slightly opened door. The boy inside the room gave out a light chuckle, "Why won't you come inside, Irosuzuka?"

Embarrassed at being caught, she then fully opened the door and stepped inside "Please excuse me, then."

"Now that you're here, will you join me?"

"Eh?"

Looking at the board, she realized that Akashi was actually playing by himself, but based from what she was informed of, shogi was a two-player game.

Seeing her confused expression, he already knew what was on her mind. He decided to not comment about it and instead, he said, "I apologize for assuming. Do you know how to play?"

Her gaze flickered towards him for a moment before it went back to the board, "Yes, I learned from my grandfather. However, I guess, I'm not really good at it, so I might just spoil your fun if I play with you."

"Is that so? That's unexpected, coming from a strategist like you", he remarked, as he amusedly watched her take the seat across him, despite her previous statement.

She tucked some stray strands of hair behind her ear and sheepishly said, "Well, I always thought that I'm better with...moving or living things?", finally landing her eyes on him.

That comment earned her another chuckle from the red-haired boy. She then helped him arrange the board.

Tsumiko felt that their game was a little longer than expected – given that she had already anticipated to lose as soon as she had made her first move.

"Ote", Akashi's cool voice rang inside the room.

"You're really good at this, Akashi-san! Or maybe, it's just because I'm not good at it? Or both?"

"Now, what am I supposed to say to that?"

It was a rhetorical question, and yet she chose to answer, "What you honestly think."

"Well then, honestly, it was a match I enjoyed", he politely and genuinely stated.

"It's a pleasure, then. If you ever want to be challenged by getting caught off guard with my _very_ novice shogi skills, just let me know, especially if you want to take a break in playing with your fellow shogi club members"

He humored her, "That is a tempting offer. However, I'm not part of the shogi club."

Her eyes widened, "Huh, why not? I doubt it's because you didn't pass their standards."

"I took down their offer, since I decided to focus on the basketball club."

Tsumiko restrained herself from gaping at him, "Wow. See, you even got offered to join. I'm surprised they let you use this room."

"They were generous enough to accept my request", he casually said, as if it was just a usual occurrence.

"From someone who took down their offer? Would you also be _generous_ enough to share exactly how you requested them?"

Being slightly entertained by the silver-haired girl's reactions, he explained, maintaining his relaxed tone, "I simply played with all of the members and won all the matches. Afterwards, they asked me to join, but I respectfully refused. Subsequently, I asked them if I could play in this room whenever it's free. They agreed, even kindly saying that I'm open to join them anytime, and sharing the fact that no one really uses this room much during lunch time."

She shook her head at his story, "I'm not really surprised anymore, Akashi-san."

Her dark eyes then looked directly at his red eyes, as a matter fleeted through her mind, "Wait, so does this mean that you've been playing here alone during lunch time?"

At the question, he blinked once before responding, "Most of the time, yes."

He knew where this was going. She was surely going to feel bad for him or she was surely going to ask him why he was alone. Just like when they were playing shogi, he knew what her next moves were going to be.

"Akashi-san, you don't happen to skip lunch, do you?"

Ah, how could he miss that move?

Of course, the girl wasn't used to playing shogi. There were some moves that he didn't anticipate – simply because, she got the moves wrong. He had gladly taught her and had even guided her.

But this – he didn't bother correcting this _move_ because it wasn't necessarily wrong, in the first place. However, it was something foreign to him. He didn't find it particularly unpleasant, though. These kinds of encounters were all part of the learning process in life, after all.

Even when the gears in his mind were running, he kept his collected demeanor and answered, "Of course, not."

He watched as her features soften, "That's good to hear. You must not forget to eat proper meals, especially since training could get really intense."

Ah, all part of the learning process, indeed.

With an amused tone, he spoke, "I know that very well, coach", indirectly referring to all the drills they were currently doing, courtesy of their coaches and their coach-in-training.

To his entertainment, the girl in front of him caught on what he was implying, and matched his tone as she said, "As expected from the vice-captain."

* * *

Midorima was looking at the time on the pink alarm clock on his desk, his lucky item of the day. It was fifteen minutes before lunch time ends, and yet, his white-haired desk neighbor was still not present, along with his red-haired teammate. It wasn't like he was feeling bored and a little left out and wanted to talk to someone in the very noisy classroom, he simply wanted to ask any of them about a _word_ he missed in his notes. That missing word was very crucial, of course.

To say that he was relieved to see the two enter the classroom at the same time was ridiculous because he wasn't, _obviously_. However, to say that he was surprised to see the two enter the classroom at the same time while happily chatting was something he, himself, couldn't even deny. He eyed them suspiciously as they approached their seats. The girl noticed him first and gave him her usual courteous smile before taking her seat. Akashi did the same, except that he seated in a way he could turn towards Tsumiko, to listen to her.

' _Why were they together? Could it be because of club duties?'_ , he inwardly wondered. He now contemplated on interrupting the two since they seem to be lost in their own bubble.

' _This is ridiculous'_ , he thought.

It wasn't like he cared enough to be curious.

"Where were you two? You were almost late, not that I care, but I don't want to be the one to explain to the teacher if both of you weren't here on time."

Okay, he was curious, alright.

Silver head turned towards him, as she replied, "Ah, sorry, Midorima-san. Akashi-san and I were just playing shogi in the shogi club room."

The boy in glasses quirked his eyebrows, "Shogi? You're shogi club members?"

"No, we're not", Tsumiko responded before explaining the situation.

Afterwards, he nodded, "I see", while trying to conceal his amazement on Akashi's apparently impressive skills.

"Midorima, do you play shogi too?", Akashi questioned.

"I do know how."

With this information, the girl expressed her thoughts, "I'm guessing you might be good at it too, right? Or maybe, at least better than me."

He wasn't prepared for that assumption, "The people I had played with did tell me that I'm..good."

"Great!", the girl beamed at him, "You might probably be a better opponent to Akashi-san than me."

"Irosuzuka, you're not that bad", again, the red-head stated politely.

She turned towards the boy seated in front of her, "But still, I guess he might give you more of a challenge."

He gave her a knowing look, "I might say, yours is a different type of challenge."

Agreeing with him, a playful smile formed on her lips, "I might say, I'm honored."

Akashi then faced the other boy, "Anyway, I'm open to play with anyone, so why don't we play some time, Midorima?"

The green-haired boy pushed up his glasses, "If you insist."

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break, with the _very_ important word, that Midorima had missed, already forgotten. It wasn't really that important, after all.

Midorima then found himself eyeing the pink alarm clock – not really to look at the time, but to look at the color, reminding him of the two people he just had talked to some moments ago. No one should know, but he was actually glad.

It was July, and it was already the Cancer season. Oha-asa has never really failed him.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hi!**

 **I made some slight changes with the chapter titles. This is because I finally decided to divide this story into three parts, based on the three-stem system or elements of Ikebana or Kadō (華道 , 'way of flowers'): _shin_ , _soe_ , _hikae_. I had explained this back in chapter 4, but I'll put it here and in the prologue anyway :)**

 **Part 1: _shin_ (真 , 'heaven') - the longest stem**

 **Part 2: _soe_ ****(副 , 'man') - the middle-length stem**

 **Part 3: _hikae_ ****(控 , 'earth') - the shortest stem**

 **Again, t** **hanks to the faves and follows!** **I also hope that Haizaki wasn't OOC ;A; but for now, he's just** **a softer Haizaki? (lol) Also** **, since it's already July and Cancer season in this story, do you guys have any idea about what's gonna happen in the next chapter? ;)**


	14. 真: Chapter 13

One afternoon, while sitting at the veranda, a girl caught sight of violet-blue in the garden of flowers. It was just one, yet it stood tall with its petals spread out – proud and elegant. The first bloom of the Japanese irises – the last irises to bloom – reminded the girl that it was already July.

July meant midsummer, final exams, summer break, more training for the Nationals, _his_ –

She stopped her own thoughts as she made a mental note of buying something later for her first agenda in July, _'It's time'_

" _So the time has finally come."_

The girl, Tsumiko was distracted by the sight of the single flower that she had not been sure if she had heard the person from the other end of the line right.

"Pardon?"

A light giggle escaped her best friend from elementary, Igarashi Sena – all the way from London – before she continued, _"You've been crushing on him since..."_ – another pause – _"..I don't know. Anyway, remember when you kept on telling me how you were right about him not being naturally blond when he returned his hair back to black? You've always said that it's just a simple crush, but I knew it would soon turn into something more serious."_

There was another pause and Tsumiko could almost feel her best friend's mouth forming into a smug grin, _"And I was right. Now you really do like him."_

Eyes blinking at the tall, proud and elegant iris, she suddenly felt small and embarrassed, "This just feels weird. I haven't even told Mizuki-chan and Chitose-chan yet. I've only told Momoi-chan before you."

" _Well, she's wise to trick you, I'd give her that. But, let me remind you, I'm still the first person you had told about it."_

Igarashi Sena was one of the smartest people in her class. It was the very reason why they became close. Back in fourth grade, when Tsumiko had just transferred to Tokyo from Kyoto, their teacher - seeing how Tsumiko was still adjusting and needed help in her studies - decided to ask Igarashi to be her study buddy. Wanting to tease her friend, who always stood tall and proud with her long brown-black hair secured in a braid, Tsumiko _tried_ to smart-talk her, "Oh come on, Sena-chan. Even if you're the first one who knew about my _crush_ , you're only the second person to know about who I _like_."

" _There's no difference if your crush and who-you-like is the same person, Tsumiko-chan."_

Well, the keyword was 'tried'. Tsumiko just couldn't win against her friend, who actually had a point in her argument – as always.

She could only admire the iris – hoping that the rest of the buds would bloom just in time for Nationals. But for now, to accomplish her first major mission of the month, she drew inspiration from the first bloom of the Japanese iris.

* * *

Nijimura Shuuzo woke up earlier than usual so he took his time at the bathroom – staring at the mirror and running his fingers through his dark hair.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow will mark the passing of a year since the day he had done one of the most stupid yet satisfying things in his life.

Dying his hair blond.

...

" _Oi Nijimura, you turn thirteen and you turn full delinquent?", Kubota remarked, the day after Nijimura dyed his hair._

 _Not even giving Nijimura time to retort at his fellow naturally-raven-haired first year, Sekiguchi gave out a whine, "Hey man, no fair! I'm supposed to be the special one - the only blonde in the group. Now, Kubota's the special one."_

 _He just rolled his eyes at them – preparing to curse at them, when he saw their team captain approaching them with a basketball in his hand and an annoying bright smile in his face._

 _Great._

" _Looking good, Nijimura."_

 _Irosuzuka Yuuta's smile then turned into a more threatening one as he continued, "Hope you didn't join any gangs. We still need you not beaten up and whole for the Nationals."_

 _The fucking bastard._

 _The raven-haired third-year was definitely getting on his nerves. But, he was not in the mood to punch anybody, so he just settled with a death stare._

" _Shut up and give me the fucking ball."_

 _Nobody dared ask him about his hair nor openly stare at it since then._

 _Except for one._

 _It was when they got back from the summer break. Coach Shirogane introduced a girl to the team. She was the same girl he had caught a glimpse at during the Nationals, and apparently she was the sister of their captain._

 _Her name was Irosuzuka Tsumiko. She was in sixth grade, yet she was going to be trained to be a coach and was going to be their unofficial manager until she officially attends Teikou. Her brother's hair was black, yet hers was white._

 _How the fuck are all these even possible?_

" _Nijimura Shuuzo, first year."_

 _Oh and she blatantly stared at his unnatural blond hair, as he introduced himself._

 _What the fuck is wrong with her?_

 _His thinking was interrupted when he felt someone smack his back. He faced the person he knew was responsible for it and hissed, "The fuck was that?"_

 _What met him was feign innocence from their captain, "Oh I thought you needed a pat to help you relax and to stop you from glaring at our guest."_

 _He directed a glare at him as he said, "I wasn't glaring at her", then stole a glance at the girl before continuing to mutter, "You siscon."_

" _What was that?"_

 _Knowing that he had provoked the bastard, he smirked, "Ha? Want me to say it louder?", then emphasized every syllable, "You-sis-con."_

 _What came next was something he have trouble remembering – or rather, something he didn't really want to remember. All he knew was he heard a faint laugh coming from the girl and that her eyes were dark - like his own - but they were shining like opal._

 _She rarely visited the team due to school, but thankfully whenever she does visit them, her staring at his hair lessened. In exchange of that, though, he got to see her dark opal eyes directed at his own dark eyes, reminding him of that one irritating similarity she has with her bastard of a brother – their eyes._

 _There was also a time when she was gone for like a month, then she popped out of nowhere one day during the week before the school year ends._

" _Yeah, yeah, I'm not blonde anymore, so stop staring"_

 _He once again found himself frowning at her, as her old habit came back, along with her presence in the gym._

 _With her eyes still fixed on his head, she did a single nod – as if she just had confirmed a theory, "Your hair is black."_

 _Trying to prevent himself from fuming at the younger girl, he took a deep breath then exhaled, "Yeah, and?"_

 _She giggled a bit then shifted her gaze to his eyes, "I guess black suits you better."_

 _There was a pause before she offered him a smile, "Captain."_

 _This caused something to stir in him._

 _He was probably not used to be called 'captain' yet. It's only natural since it was just days ago when they had appointed him as the captain. He was shocked, of course, but what he didn't understand more was that Irosuzuka Yuuta was actually the one who had suggested the ridiculous idea to the coaches._

 _Again, that fucking bastard._

 _Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with these siblings?_

 _He could only lightly flick her forehead and feel the corners of his mouth rise a little, as he watched her eyes blink in mild surprise, "Of course, you idiot."_

...

Nijimura Shuuzo found himself blinking at the mirror. His train of thoughts were a proof that he was really taking his damn time in the bathroom.

Finally finishing his morning routine, he took one last look at the mirror and scoffed.

"Happy birthday, asshole."

* * *

Nijimura Shuuzo was feeling uneasy.

He doesn't exactly know why, making him even more uneasy.

While he was packing his things since class had just ended and he had practice to attend to, he recalled that during morning practice, nobody from the team had greeted him. Only Sekiguchi and Kubota greeted him when they were on their way to their classrooms – not forgetting to tease him about dying his hair blond again the next day.

Those jerks.

He had finished packing his things, and he headed towards the door, nodding goodbyes towards some of his classmates. Sekiguchi was surprisingly nowhere to be found inside their classroom, and that's when it came to him that the moron has recently started going out with a girl from another class – Kubota's class, as he recalled. He better not be late in practice, especially not today. He was not in the mood for crap today.

Today was his birthday, and remembering about it just makes his mood even sour.

He had stopped caring about birthday greetings around a year ago, so, he was sure he wasn't bothered because of the lack of greetings from the team. Honestly, he had his suspicions, but knowing his team and their coaches, he had immediately threw these suspicions down the bin. Besides, the training has been more intense these days due to the nearing Nationals. They also still have the final exams to overcome before the summer break. Therefore, it was only understandable if the first-stringers were tired and stressed to greet him – more so, to remember or even know his birthday, especially the first-years.

Ah, the first-years.

Ah.

' _This first year'_ , he mused as his eyes landed on a familiar mop of white.

His gaze trailed down to the person's face and he was greeted with the slightly widened opal eyes of the first-year leaning against the wall across the classroom.

Instantly, the girl's expression changed to a calmer one as she addressed him, while giving him a small smile, "Senpai."

"Sup."

"Is it okay if I walk with you to practice?"

Not showing his confusion, he replied, "Uh, sure."

She then started to walk, and he effortlessly caught up and walked beside her. The two walked silently together, making the older boy feel even more troubled. It was only when they had descended the first flight of stairs that he broke the silence, "So."

She halted in her steps, and taking it as his cue, he did the same and continued, "This is just random, you know. What's up?"

He watched the younger girl tense at his question. She proceeded to look forward and sigh, then met his eyes for just a second and replied, "It's nothing, senpai."

"Let's go?", she asked – not really waiting for his answer, as she started walking once more. He followed suit, deciding to let this go, while inwardly groaning in frustration.

When they got outside, she stopped and spoke again, "Senpai. I, um", with the rest of the words left mumbled under her breath. The taller boy was about to lean down to hear her, when she dismissed whatever she had just mumbled as 'nothing', and walked once again – much more quickly this time.

 _ **The fuck.**_

Having enough of this, he had again effortlessly caught up with her and this time, turned her around. Holding both of her shoulders, he looked her in the eye and questioned her, "What–", he was still thinking rationally enough as he censored himself, "– is wrong? What's this about?"

Her eyes rapidly blinked as she looked up at him. Afterwards, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Locking her eyes into his once more, her lips slightly curved upwards.

"Happy Birthday, Nijimura-senpai."

 _ **The fuck part two.**_

His grip on her shoulders loosened.

"Sorry, I just remembered about your birthday when I saw my clipboard after the morning practice. Also, I'm sorry for suddenly showing up in front of your classroom and making you worry. I just thought that I should greet you before practice starts since I might forget about it after", she gabbled as she refused to look him in the eye.

Ah, so that was it.

He released his hold on her shoulders as he tried to stifle a laugh. Somehow, the uneasiness he has been feeling faded. He believed he was thinking too much. What did he expect from the girl who had shamelessly gawked at his hair during their first meeting anyway?

Her eyebrows were knitted at him and in response, he grinned at her and flicked her forehead, earning him a glare from her, "You little idiot."

Before she could even speak, he grabbed her shoulders once again and spun her around, while saying "Thanks, but we better hurry to practice, brat." He simply ignored her protests as he pushed her forward and guided her towards the gym.

As soon as they reached the gym doors, Tsumiko forcefully shrugged his hands off her shoulders and abruptly turned around to face him. She then said in a low whisper, "After practice, I'll be waiting at the gates."

Puzzled once again, he simply watched her as she entered the gym. He stood outside for a second and when he finally opened the doors, he was greeted by a unison of –

"Happy Birthday Captain!"

 _ **What the actual fuck.**_

The said captain recovered from his shock when a piece of confetti got stuck on his slightly opened mouth. That was when he realized that the first-string members and some of the managers were in front of him. He also caught a glimpse of their two coaches watching them at the sidelines. Lastly, he saw their coach-in training smiling at him apologetically, making him realize that everything – from the lack of greetings this morning to her lie about almost forgetting his birthday and her being extra weird earlier– was all part of the plan. Nonetheless, he was still confused about the last thing she had told him.

He was about to give in to this damn plan and allow the corners of his mouth to raise, but Haizaki just had to approach him with a scowl on his face, as he was holding a huge cake with lighted candles on top.

He imitated the scowl on the brat's face and asked, "Why?"

"We let the first years decide using rock-paper-scissors and he lost, winning him the _prize_ of handing you your birthday cake. Now, Haizaki?", Obura, a third-year regular, answered for the first-year, who turned a little red from anger and embarrassment.

At the cue, the newest member of the team rolled his eyes but greeted him anyways, "Happy Birthday...captain" – mumbling the last word.

Seeing how this usually impolite brat turned into a shy kid, he couldn't help but smirk and ruffle his gray hair, "Thanks, brat." The brat, in turn, stomped on his feet. After throwing a dirty look at Haizaki, he scanned the gym before saying, "Thank you, everyone."

Feeling a little bad for the brat, he quickly made a wish and blew the candles, before shouting, "Let's all work hard, do our best and win the Nationals!", to which everyone responded with a loud "Yes, captain!", followed by cheers and applause.

When everyone calmed down, the head coach decided to start the practice. They all needed to train faster and more intensely since the practice was delayed – much to the disappointment of almost everyone, who was, ironically, spouting about 'working hard' and 'doing our best' just moments earlier. Noticing this, Nijimura announced, "After practice, I will share the cake to those who worked hard this practice", and just like that, almost everyone was hyped again.

These idiots, seriously.

In the end, he had shared the cake to everyone. He had given Midorima a larger slice of cake, since it was his birthday a few days ago. The boy simply tipped his glasses as he murmured a 'Thank you'. Only Murasakibara protested, but thankfully, Akashi gave him his share, saying that he needed to be conscious about his diet for the Nationals, without forgetting to remind everyone that they should too. With the mention of diet, he saw Momoi shove the remaining piece of her slice into Aomine's mouth, causing the latter to almost choke. He simply shook his head as he watched Tsumiko pacify the childhood friends.

"Hey man, what'd you wish for?", Sekiguchi asked him, while playfully bumping onto his side.

Nijimura had learned that this surprise was Sekiguchi and Kubota's plan, and that they had asked Tsumiko's help in convincing the other coaches to allow them to take a few minutes of the practice.

Kubota, who was on his other side, snorted, "If he told you, it wouldn't come true, stupid."

"You believe in that? Nijimura doesn't believe in it, right Nijimura?", the small forward asked.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and answered, "Whether I believe in that or not, I still won't tell you what I'd wished for, you jerks."

"I bet it was a lame wish." Despite his bangs covering his eyes, Kubota could feel the daggers directed at him, so he patted the captain's back and said, "But it will come true."

"Gee, _thanks_ ", Nijimura sarcastically said, as he patted Kubota's back as well while saying, "Advanced happy birthday to you." The shooting guard, whose birthday was five days from today, simply nodded in response.

After they finished eating the cake and cleaned up, the members exited the first-string gym. Some of the first-years were already ahead and as they neared the gym doors, a silver head turned and glanced back at him. This was all it took for Nijimura to remember her words, and for the feeling of uneasiness well up inside him once again.

It took him some time to get to the gates alone, since he turned down the invitation to dinner of some regulars, saying that he already had plans. They teased him about it, speculating that he might secretly be dating a girl, but he just shrugged them off.

Well, they weren't entirely wrong since he _was_ going to meet a certain white-haired girl – except that she happened to be his kouhai and at the same time, their team's aspiring coach and most importantly, they weren't dating.

Eyeing the girl at the gates suspiciously, he interrogated, "What's this? Are there more surprises?"

In response, she waved her hands defensively and explained, "No. I just wanted to apologize for tricking you, so – ", she took something out of her bag and handed out a wrapped gift, "Here. Happy Birthday."

Well, he didn't expect that.

She probably felt too guilty, so he took the gift from her. Seeing the girl's lips curve upwards, he couldn't help but mirror her expression.

Her smile grew wider and he has to shift his focus on the gift and unwrap it, revealing a white wristband.

She seemed taken aback at his actions, "I-I noticed you wore wristbands during matches, and I haven't seen you wear a white one so I um.. if you don't like-"

"I like it. Thanks."

He then placed the gift inside his bag. This made the girl exhale in relief, "I'm glad. Honestly, I was thinking about getting a rainbow one since I thought it would be funny, but then I thought that it might be too corny."

The boy only chuckled and started walking forward, stuffing his hands on his pockets.

"See, it was a corny and stupid idea indeed", she concluded as she caught up to him.

"It sure is, but I already have one at home", he informed her as he stared straight ahead.

In his peripheral view, he saw her snap towards him, "Pardon?"

With eyes still kept on the road ahead, he supplied, "My dad gave it to me last year before the Nationals. Told me that I can wear it during the Nationals to match my already colored hair", he then shrugged, "I didn't."

"Oh."

Again, in his periphery, he saw her look down at her hands that clutched her bag, and based from her tone, he knew she was already feeling guilty of her previous remark.

"Don't feel bad, it's still corny and stupid. It's what dad jokes are all about."

He tried to lighten up the mood and it was effective as he heard her little laugh, "I can't believe I unintentionally had a dad-joke-train-of-thought."

"Yeah, you're too young for that."

He noted that she was looking straight ahead, just like him, as she asked, "Well, I'm guessing you still won't wear it this Nationals?"

Looking pensive, he replied, "Actually, I've been thinking about wearing it this year."

"That's great! I really want to see you wear it."

Noticing that the girl faced him once more, he decided to meet her excited gaze, and smirked.

"How 'bout the one you gave me? Don't wanna see me wear it?"

.

.

.

 _ **The fuck did he say.**_

"Eh? N-no, I didn't say that."

He was greeted by the sight of a stuttering girl, with a bit of pink dusted on her cheeks. She probably noticed his lips tugging upwards – indicating that he was teasing her – as her expression changed to a warning look, which, for some reason, didn't seem to be as threatening as usual.

Weird.

Oh, he totally regretted what he said, because it was making him feel weird even more.

Okay, maybe he didn't necessarily regret it _entirely_.

Feeling satisfied with her reaction and seeing the familiar black car, he decided to drop the teasing, "You're driver's here."

"Well then, I'll be going now. Happy Birthday, senpai."

* * *

Shortly after he arrived home, his older sister, who was in her 3rd year of high school, also arrived home. They then changed their clothes and went to the restaurant they all liked, along with his younger brother, who was a 6th grader, and father, who was an engineer.

Dinner was fairly simple. They had eaten good food, shared stories, laughed, and simply enjoyed each other's company.

 _ **This.**_

This was his wish.

This year, he decided to stop wishing for his mother, who was a scientist, to come back from the States. He finally believed that it might be impossible because even if their parents weren't legally separated, they were still pretty much anyway, since his mother was practically married to her work.

This was why he changed the wish he had had for almost two years already.

This year, he had wished for his family to stay happy and healthy – especially his father.

He didn't want what happened last April to happen again. He didn't want his father to collapse again. He didn't want to hear his older sister's shaking voice, as she told him over the phone that there was an emergency. He didn't want to see his younger brother's worry-stricken face.

"Shuuzo, hope you like it."

His musings were broken when Nijimura Ryotarou, his father, handed him a bag.

Seeing the box inside the bag, he immediately knew what it was. Excitedly, he took out the box and opened it. He was welcomed by the sight of the limited-edition basketball shoes that he has been eyeing on since its release. Gaping at the shoes, he poked it to test if it was real.

It's fucking real.

"Woah, thanks dad!"

His father beamed at him and nodded in satisfaction.

"Nii-san, I helped dad order it online", Nijimura Toshiki blurted out proudly.

"I helped dad pick the color. Just so you know, Shuu-chan, he was about to pick the colorful one, because of _rainbows_ ", Nijimura Rui added, pointing at the black shoes with light blue soles.

His face contorted in horror as he imagined the colorful shoes. He then nodded towards his sister and brother, "Thanks, Rui-nee, and of course to you too, Toshi."

"But we're all rainbows so it just makes sense", their father defended his sense of style.

There was contentment as he watched his siblings tease their father more and his father pretending to sulk, in return. He couldn't help but place a hand on his father's shoulder, and tell him, "Yeah, old man, we _are_ rainbows. I'm thinking that these shoes would look good together with the rainbow wristband."

 _ **The fuck did he say part two.**_

"Shuuzo!" "Shuu-chan?!"

"Um, can we have the cake now?", the youngest Nijimura pipped up.

Ignoring his father and sister's contrasting reactions, he patted his younger brother's head, "Hell yeah, Toshi."

The waiter then served them a circular chocolate cake, with fancy candles on top. Much to his embarrassment, they sang the happy birthday song. Before blowing the candles, he made another wish.

He wasn't sure if one can make multiple wishes on his birthday.

But fuck it.

Today was his birthday and he wished to win the Nationals.

* * *

Nijimura Shuuzo was not feeling uneasy.

No, he wasn't. He just couldn't sleep.

That was what he has been telling himself during the past hour he has spent lying down on his bed, with eyes darting to the phone in his hands, every so often.

Oh, he was so pathetic. Didn't he say that he had stopped caring about birthday greetings? So why the fu–

"Shuuzo? You awake?"

Startled by his father's voice behind the door of his room, he darted into a sitting position and croaked out, "Uh yeah, why?"

The door then opened, and he watched his father wordlessly sit beside him on the bed.

Nijimura Ryotarou spared a single glance at the phone on his son's hand, before speaking again, "Texting with your girlfriend?"

At that question, he would've shown his father his best grimace and denied his speculation, if he didn't happen to unmask the true meaning of the question.

"If you're worried if I'm gonna dye my hair blond tomorrow, _don't_ – because I won't."

It was true, he wouldn't. It was also true that last year he had hated his black hair.

"Shuuzo, I can call her if – "

"No."

It was true that he had always resembled his mother, Seiki, more. It was also true that he had wanted to change his hair color, so that he would look less like her.

"Even if she doesn't call or message me until the last second of tomorrow, I don't care."

It was true that last year he had waited until the next day for her, because of the time difference. It was also true that she had forgotten to greet him last year.

She – his own mother – the one who gave _birth_ to him.

.

.

.

"Okay. Just let me know if you plan to dye your hair blond again. You looked good in it, son."

And just like that, his uneasiness was gone, thanks to his father's stupid – but comforting – statement. He then realized that since his father's hair was black like his mom's, maybe – when he would ignore the laws of genetics – he actually got his hair color only from him.

While he was occupied with his pondering, his father stood up and was about to open the door, when he looked back at him, "Actually, you might want to try a different color. How about...red?"

Back from his daze, he showed him a glare, which was weakened by the slight twitch of his lips, "Go away, old man."

"Good night too, and happy birthday."

After his father closed the door, he made one last look at his phone and when he saw nothing, he decided to let go of his phone and think of all the people who had greeted him today. Among them, he was certain that someone had greeted him more than the usual.

No, he didn't really count how many exactly. He wasn't sentimental.

Oh, who was he kidding, his best subject was Math. He _did_ count. But only out of habit from Math. He wasn't _that_ sentimental.

Three times. Or four – if he was going to consider the group greeting.

In total, he got a lot of greetings today. That was enough to keep his hair in its natural color.

After all, black does suit him better.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Phew, this chapter beats Chapter 1 in being the longest, so far. (lol)** **Soooo, here, we got to know more about Niji's thoughts, and of course, his family – especially his father and mother :(**

 **In a lighter note, to everyone who follows this story and who has this story in their faves, thank you again! I really really hope I'm doing okay so far? T-T** **And to those new in this story, please bear with me and enjoy :)**


	15. 真: Chapter 14

**A/N:**

 **Hey everyone, I'm back! ;A; Thanks for all the faves, follows and reviews! :)**

 **To _Sapphiresushi_ , I hope the backstory I made about him turning his hair to blond during his first year was alright, even if it's a bit sad T-T**

 **Anyway, please enjoy~**

* * *

If there was something that Tsumiko learned from her parents – it was to be proud and elegant.

 _ **Proud.**_

Her father Hiroshi, being the head of the Irosuzuka group, presented himself, his company, and his family with pride.

 _ **Elegant.**_

Her mother Emi, being a former professional ballerina, walked with grace and acted with elegance.

 _ **Proud and elegant.**_

That was what she have always aspired to be.

To accomplish this, she have always tried to act mature, but sometimes, her childish side would just make a way to ruin that.

But what can she do?

She _was_ a child.

 _..._

 _"It's been bothering me, why is there a middle-school girl in this room?"_

 _That question was from Coach Kasuga, the head coach of the defending champion, Haranishi Junior High. It was asked after the rules of the tournament had been discussed during the coaches' meeting on the first day of the Nationals._

 _A man, who was the head referee and part of the committee or organizers of the National tournament, nodded at the Teikou coaches, allowing them to deal with the matter._

 _"Pardon the late introduction, but this middle-school girl is a first-year named Irosuzuka Tsumiko and she is currently being trained to be a coach of Teikou.", Coach Shirogane explained. He paused, and Tsumiko took this as her cue to stand up and bow._

 _He then continued, with his usual smile on, "I believe Coach Ono here could attest to her skills as she had led our second-string team to win the practice game against Kouen Junior High."_

 _At the mention of their school, Coach Ono and their school's head coach shared a look, before Coach Ono addressed the Teikou head coach, "Uh, yes. She had indeed shown impressive performance, considering her age."_

 _Haranishi's head coach briefly chuckled, "You were beaten by a little girl?"_

 _"Please stop being sexist, Coach Kasuga. Still, Coach Shirogane, isn't she a little too young?", one of the very few female coaches in the room and the head coach of Kamata West Junior High, Coach Shimamura, said._

 _Murmurs of agreement filled the room and the head referee broke this as he announced, "Everyone! The committee had already discussed about this when Coach Shirogane informed us two months ago. We'd already decided to accept Ms. Irosuzuka, but only as a trainee, since Teikou still hasn't officially made her a coach. As you've seen, she wasn't allowed to put her inputs during this meeting. But, she is allowed to join the matches as a trainee coach - given that she would not be left alone in the job by Teikou's coaches."_

 _Thankfully, the others seemed to accept, making Tsumiko's desire to crawl into a hole lessen – but, Coach Kasuga just had to make one more comment._

" _Fine, the child doesn't pose any harm to us anyways. I was just worried for Teikou."_

 _..._

She was a child.

Being a child comes with the childishness of seeking revenge.

And the wishes she'd made every time she happens to catch a glimpse of Haranishi Junior High's matches, so that Coach Kasuga would lose.

And when she was not granted her wishes, the fierce look directed at their now finals opponent's coach, Coach Kasuga – only when she was sure he wasn't looking their way and no one was looking at her.

It was now the finals. Teikou was against the defending champion, Haranishi Junior High. They were now in the last minutes of the second quarter of the match and Teikou was leading by two points.

"Irosuzuka, be prepared to report your observations during the halftime break", Coach Sanada said.

"Yes, coach."

So far this was how it went for the past matches. While Coach Shirogane and Coach Sanada were discussing strategies among themselves, Tsumiko was just listening. She would only watch the game, then report her observations during the halftime break and at the end of the game. They would also ask her for possible points of improvement, troubleshooting methods, and strategies.

She was starting to believe that they were just grading her based on what she's saying. The Nationals was supposed to be her final assessment to determine whether she could officially become a coach or not. She just didn't expect and didn't really enjoy the idea that it was in the form of an oral exam.

Well that's just unpredictable and anticlimactic because how could she prove herself to Coach Kasuga and the others now?

 _ **Buzz.**_

The end of the second quarter revealed a score of 53-49, with Teikou's advantage.

Seeing their players – consisting almost all the starters except Aomine and Midorima substituting Sekiguchi and Kubota respectively – approach the benches, she stood up and helped Momoi in handing out towels and water bottles.

She first handed a towel and a water bottle to Midorima, who only nodded a 'thanks' then rushed past her towards the baby doll seated securely in between Akashi and Murasakibara.

"Oi Satsuki, the water's not that cold."

"Just finish that first Aomine-kun. I'll get you another one after."

At the childhood friends' exchange, she shook her head before taking another set of towel and bottle. When she turned around, she was met by a chest and she caught a whiff of sweat. Looking up, she saw the captain's slightly panting face with beads of sweat threatening to drop. She felt her heart skip a beat and she was very tempted to wipe the sweat off his face. Before she could even do that, though, Nijimura took the towel and bottle from her hands – with his fingers gently brushing against hers. It was only after downing the bottle did he give her a breathy 'thanks'.

To stop herself from fawning over him, she took her eyes off his face. Her gaze landed on the rainbow wristband on his left arm, and this caused her to beam at him, "You really wore it! It actually looks good."

He did say he was considering on wearing it this year, but during their previous games, he only wore his usual black wristband, so she kind of didn't expect him to wear the rainbow one – nor the white one.

Nijimura just shrugged before speaking, "He's watching today so yeah", referring to his father.

Before they could even talk more, they were already being hurried to go inside the locker rooms – causing Tsumiko to panic when she was reminded about her reports to be presented.

* * *

As soon as she finished her report, she was anticipating questions from the coaches. No, she wasn't expecting Coach Shirogane to tell her to prepare herself because he would assign her to coach anytime in the remaining half of the game. Nope, not at all.

"But, Coach Shirogane?"

Ah, it seemed that Coach Sanada wasn't expecting that either.

It's confirmed. Coach Shirogane was indeed the devil.

"Coach Sanada, her assessment is still incomplete. You know that we can't just grade her based on her reports. It's not enough for an aspiring coach to be theoretical. She needs to apply her learnings too. Besides, she had moved up to the first-string through actual matches, so it only makes sense to do the same now."

Well, here goes the practical exam.

* * *

' _Is the aircon on fullblast? But this is an arena, it's not supposed to be that cold'_ , Tsumiko mused as she felt the temperature dropping around her. The third quarter just started, yet the tips of her fingers were already growing cold.

' _Water. Maybe, I need water.'_

With this thought, she stood up from her seat beside Coach Sanada and went towards the ice chest next to Momoi. When she opened the ice chest, however, she closed it immediately.

' _Nope. Too cold.'_

"Iro-chan, are you okay? You're kinda...shivering."

At the sound of her friend's voice, anxious dark eyes met worried pink eyes.

"The fuck. Are you that nervous, you feel damn cold? Wear a fucking jacket or you might just piss yourself."

The two girls stopped staring at each other and faced the owner of the voice and profanities, who was seated at the bench in front of the one Momoi was sitting on. An idea then came to Tsumiko.

"Haizaki-san, can I borrow yours, then?"

Haizaki, who initially had his head slightly turned to the side, fully faced them as he scowled, "Hell no", then smirked, "Besides, it'll be too big for you _tiny_ -san. Go find someone who's as _chibi_ as you, like that little red riding hood over there or something", while pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

Following the direction of his thumb, she took a glance to the court, where two third-years, Nijimura, Murasakibara, and – _little red riding hood_ – Akashi, were playing, "But he's playing."

The gray-haired boy rolled his gray eyes at her, "Just fucking take his jacket", then gestured towards the girl beside her, "Pinky manager over here knows where it is."

Momoi flinched at the nickname, "Uh, yes. Iro-chan, I'll help you find it in the basket over there", then went ahead towards the basket of jackets and towels.

"Thank you, Haizaki-san."

"Ugh, just get your pathetic ass outta my sight."

As soon as she turned around, he muttered something under his breath, but Tsumiko was sure of what she heard and it made her eyes go wide.

* * *

 _ **Proud and elegant.**_

During the last week of July – when she made an _Ikebana_ – the Japanese irises were already in full bloom.

Now in the first week of August – in this finals game – it was time for her to bloom as well.

With her wavy hair tied up in a ponytail, Tsumiko wore Teikou's summer uniform, and with her school shoes exchanged to rubber shoes. Lastly, the Teikou basketball team's jacket – which she had already apologized and thanked Akashi for – hang a little bit loosely on her body, but was effective in fighting the cold and in making her feel less vulnerable and exposed to the eyes that were probably focusing on her, as she took the seat in the middle of the older coaches.

The third quarter just ended and Teikou was behind by five points. This was why the gym sort of fell silent when they saw the young girl, but after a moment, murmurs started to fill the gym.

As the players of the last minutes of the third quarter – Midorima, Sekiguchi, Obura, Miyagi, Nijimura – near the benches, Tsumiko stood up, with the coaching board on her hands.

"Miyagi Youhei, Obura Bunta, Sekiguchi Toru, Kubota Masaya, and Haizaki Shougo. You will start the fourth quarter. It's their possession, so we need to make a steal and a fastbreak immediately and get it to a tie. Miyagi Youhei and Kubota Masaya will be the key players for this."

The fourth quarter started and she took her seat, and saw Coach Kasuga chuckling alongside his assistant coach, while casting glances towards their direction. When he finally locked eyes on her, he showed her a smug smile.

Along with Haizaki's muttered words echoing in her mind, she pressed her lips tightly.

She was a child

But, as a young aspiring coach, she was going to be proud and elegant.

So instead of glaring at their opponent's coach, she simply smiled at him – the type of smile Coach Shirogane and her brother always had, seemingly innocent and kind but poisonous – before watching the play being executed by the Teikou team. When she saw that Kubota successfully made the three-point shot, she straightened her back, mentally noting that her mom probably saw her initial posture from the stands and would likely give her a lecture about it later.

Despite Teikou managing to tie the score, Haranishi's players were putting extra pressure on Teikou's players forcing them to make emergency passes that leads to them losing the play. It was also becoming obvious that the four starters were already exhausted, as shown by them being short on shots and missing their free-throws.

Her hands were curled into fists and she felt thankful for the slightly longer sleeves of the jacket that hid her fists well. Two minutes into the last quarter of the championship game, the opposing team was already leading by 7 points, and so far the only player that scored for Teikou the most was Haizaki, the only non-starter and first-year.

' _Wait, first-year?'_

Of course, the first years.

Being a first-year herself, Coach Shirogane had always asked her to look after her fellow first-years. Moreover, one of the problems she'd seen and reported during the previous rounds was about some members – specifically the first-years – being underutilized, yet Coach Shirogane seemed to ignore this problem, so she just dismissed it as a mistake on her part. It was only this time that she had realized that she was left with no choice but to use the first-years, as if it was all part of a plan – a _devil's_ plan.

Turning to her right side, she waited for the devil coach to face her, and when he did, he smiled.

 _..._

 _It took her some time to pick the stems and the Japanese irises, and to make necessary adjustments on the lengths and cuts. She was extra meticulous. It was an Ikebana for the Nationals after all._

 _..._

 _ **Timeout.**_

"Akashi Seijuurou, Murasakibara Atsushi, Aomine Daiki, and Midorima Shintarou"

As soon as the four joined Haizaki in the court, gasps could be heard inside the gym – including her own. It was totally understandable.

The sight was just... _colorful_.

The match resumed and following their movements was really pleasing to her eyes. With Aomine's wild moves, Midorima's calculated threes, Murasakibara's blocks and rebounds, Haizaki's ability to mimic his opponents' moves and use it against them, and Akashi's strategic set-ups, Teikou caught up once again.

...

 _She took the first stem and pinned it on the kenzan. She placed the next stem, then the last. All three stems were straight and polished._

...

 _ **Timeout**_

"Go in, Nijimura Shuuzo"

"Yes."

As the captain walked towards the court, he raised his right hand to meet Haizaki's, and there on his right wrist was a white wristband, matching the rainbow wristband on his left.

With wide eyes, Tsumiko watched his back, as he walked with pride. Feeling more determined, she let the corners of her lips curve up.

...

 _Once she was satisfied with the lengths and positions of the three stems, she placed the supporting stems, which were shorter than the three main stems. Next, she cut these stems so that each gap between one stem to the next is the same, before arranging them to circle around the three main stems._

...

 _ **Timeout**_

For the last two minutes of the final quarter, the coach-in-training made the rest of the starters join the captain in the court.

...

 _She then placed three Japanese irises to join the three main stems at the middle. Two flowers were a mix of violet and white, with one being more violet and the other being more white. The third flower had a solid and darker violet color. The flowers stood tall against the other stems, including the three polished stems._

 _After a few more adjustments, the Ikebana was done, and it was p_ _roud and elegant._

...

 _ **Buzz.**_

Abruptly, Tsumiko stood up. A second after, cheers filled the gymnasium.

77-70.

Tsumiko just froze in her spot. A second after, she could see a raven-haired boy jog to the bench – to her, specifically – with the rest of the starters following behind him.

A second after, she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her. Heat was radiating from the person's body and she could smell a mix of sweat and fabric conditioner from the person's jersey. She then felt the vibrations of a deep and familiar voice saying,

"We did it... _coach_."

' _Coach?'_

Warmth spread across her chest and tears welled up her eyes. The hold around her loosened and she looked up at the person and saw a very happy Nijimura. As her tears fell, she saw his grinning face shift to an alarmed one. However, before either of them could even speak, she felt herself being squished to his chest and in instinct, she wrapped her arms around him – as the rest of the starters formed a group hug.

Hearing the celebratory noises of their team, her tears were replaced by laughs. She didn't know how long the group hug lasted, but all she knew was that as soon as the other members from the bench joined in, she somehow got separated from Nijimura and yet, she was really feeling warm as she laughed and cheered like a child.

"Everyone!"

The voice of the head coach caused them to collect themselves and break out from their mess. That was when Tsumiko saw that her fellow first years were a bit far from them. Aomine was grinning and had his hands over Momoi and an uncomfortable Midorima, but when they faced the coaches, Midorima immediately pushed himself off the tan boy. Haizaki probably made a mocking comment, then gulped a little when Midorima sent him a glare. Murasakibara and Akashi were just standing there, but they both had small smiles on their faces.

Once Coach Shirogane was sure he already got their attention, he was about to continue when the captain interrupted, "Excuse me, coach."

"Oi, first-years, get over here."

The first years did as they were told, and as they approached the group, Nijimura ruffled their hairs – including the startled Momoi, the taller Murasakibara, and the defiant Haizaki. He then gestured everyone to huddle around the older coaches.

Coach Sanada shook his head, while Coach Shirogane chuckled a bit before speaking, "That was unnecessary, but anyway, good job everyone and congratulations to all. I also welcome our newest coach, Irosuzuka. That's all for now. Let's discuss the rest later and let's now go and shake hands with the other team, and get our trophy."

They cheered for a while, before dispersing and meeting the other team at the court. When Tsumiko saw Coach Kasuga approaching, she stood tall before bowing politely then extending her arm, "It was a good game, Coach Kasuga, and I am honored to have participated in this game."

Fortunately, he took her hand, "Congratulations to your team." Unfortunately, though, he still had one last remark, "You are lucky that Teikou has a talented team."

The young coach felt a sting from his comment, but she maintained her cool, "Indeed, I am."

Her eyes followed Coach Kasuga as he shook hands with Coach Shirogane. He then whispered something to Coach Shirogane, which caused the latter's usual smile to falter for a bit. Tsumiko just shook her head to dismiss it, along with all the other negativities, and to just celebrate their win.

* * *

After the awarding, she briefly met her mom, before their team went to the lockers to change and discuss more things. At the locker room, Coach Shirogane explained more about her role in the team. To make her load lighter, he assigned her to be a special coach for her fellow first years, while Coach Sanada will focus on the higher years. He also noted that she's still a student coach, so she should do her best to keep her position.

They were then dismissed, making her feel more relaxed.

But only for a while.

Because, once they near the arena's lobby, she heard the clicking of cameras and she saw flashes of cameras.

Of course. How could she forget about the reporters from TV networks and sports magazines?

They weren't really that much , but still they were enough to make her feel overwhelmed. She had seen reporters before, but her parents have always told her not to answer them. Instead, it was usually her brother who speaks to the reporters, and despite not knowing much, she was certain he was good at it.

But this time is different. Her brother's not here and she's a coach now. So by the time a reporter approached her and asked a question, she smiled and answered.

Most of the questions were actually simple, but she would still sometimes stutter a bit. Thankfully, Coach Shirogane was beside her and assisted her when they asked her about her position in the team. Taking it as a chance, she then took a glance around her, and saw that the starters and Nijimura were being interviewed too. She also saw that her fellow first years were being interviewed as well, with Aomine being the most enthusiastic among them. What caught her attention the most was Akashi, who was calm and confident. He was simply being Akashi, and yet she was still amazed.

But she was also puzzled.

There was something off about him.

No, no – not really _him_ , but there was something off about his _outfit_.

.

.

.

' _Wait! His jacket!'_ , she internally panicked, when she realized that she was still currently _and_ shamelessly hiding in the comforts of _his_ jacket, while there _he_ stood – _exposed_ to the reporters.

Unfortunately, before she could even take the jacket off, a reporter asked another question, then another, then another, until she forgot about the jacket once again.

* * *

That night, Coach Shirogane tuned in to the sports channel. Teikou basketball team's victory was shown during the news section. In their report, they mentioned the first-year coach and the promising first year players of Teikou. They also made a brief comment on how lucky Teikou was, and made a joke on how it almost seemed impossible for a bunch of first-years like them to be gathered in the same school.

Hearing that certain part of the report, Teikou's head coach looked back on what Coach Kasuga whispered earlier.

...

" _Aren't you being a bit cruel, Coach Shirogane? From what I've seen, those first years of yours are not ordinary. You're really gonna let her be a coach and let her handle those monsters?"_

...

When the report about Teikou was done, he turned the television off and muttered to himself.

"No, Coach Kasuga. They aren't monsters. They are _miracles_."


	16. 真: Chapter 15

**A/N:**

 **HELLO!**

 **I miss y'all!** **I really apologize for not being able to update for some time T-T**

 **To _Petaclaw's PatriceBethPorter_ , thanks and again, I'm so happy you're liking this fic! I'm sorry for the late update tho :(**

 **To the _guest_ who reviewed, Hiiii! Thank you, and here's the update you've been waiting for! **

**To those who follow this fic and have this fic on their faves, I appreciate you all so much! :)**

 **Well, I hope you like this summer training camp chapter!**

* * *

The sun had just risen, leaving a bit of color at the sky. The only sounds heard are the slight bustle of the green leaves of trees, the chirping of the birds, and the whir of the engine of the bus.

A perfect summer morning.

"Haizaki!"

"You little piece of shit!"

"Good to see you're still fucking alive after hanging up on our fucking calls and being fucking late."

Ah, a perfect summer morning.

It was just the first morning of the training camp, yet the captain was already ticked off – courtesy of his already-short temper and to a certain first-year brat, who had the nerve to curse at him first thing in the morning when the brat had finally answered his calls, then hang up on him, then eventually make them wait and show up late.

The subject of a certain captain's curses covered his ears, then spat the best option to say. They were the exact words he, still half-asleep, had uttered just earlier when someone – the same captain – called him and interrupted his precious sleep during the summer break.

"Fuck you."

Ah, just so _perfect_.

Coach Shirogane extended an arm to stop the second-year from lunging at the first-year. He didn't say anything anymore, since the captain had already spouted everything – a bit too much, in his opinion. Thus, he placed a hand on the captain's shoulder to stop him from raging even more and calmly told his students to go inside the bus. Everyone except the head coach, the captain, the vice-captain, the new coach, and the latecomer, was already boarded in the bus.

* * *

The location of the camp was in the mountains of _Nagano_. There was a large traditional Japanese villa on the foot of a hill. Next to the villa were a gymnasium and a covered pool. Apparently, there were also outdoor baths and sauna. The trees surrounding the area were tall, providing a coolness in the air and a lot of shade. The place was simply beautiful, making anyone staying here experience being with nature.

"Woah, this is cool!", Aomine exclaimed, while dropping both his and Momoi's bags on the ground, "I wonder why we didn't come here before the nationals."

Tsumiko, who was next to Momoi, watched as the latter picked her bag up from the ground and dusted it off, while narrowing her eyes at her childhood friend, "Aomine-kun, don't you remember? Coach Sanada said that there has been a problem in reserving this place, so this is the available date now."

"He said that? Well, whatever."

As soon as he said that, the two girls glanced at each other and sighed. It was a good thing that the two adult coaches were already inside the villa dealing with their arrangements.

The navy-blue-haired boy, who was obviously excited, turned towards the second-years behind him and asked, "Do you guys come here every year?"

The one nearest to him, Kubota, answered, "Nope, last year was in Okinawa."

"Eh? That's even more awesome!"

"Ah, this could've been Hawaii, though", Sekiguchi casually remarked, only to realize what he had just said when the first-year ace and first-year manager both stared at him wide-eyed, "Hawaii?!"

Now, it was Nijimura's time to sigh, "Sekiguchi, you moron."

Though the newly appointed coach was informed about the original plans for Hawaii only just recently, she was aware that only the starters and the coaches knew about these plans. Hence, she mentally giggled at the sight of a frustrated captain, who didn't really like explaining stuff, but would still do so anyway – as proven by his next words.

"It was just a proposal the coaches had made to the school's officials. But, the officials sure did take their damn time to review the proposal, only to reject it. Kinda bullshit, but yeah, by the time that they'd made a decision, it was already too late to reserve this place before the nationals."

"In short, we didn't deserve Hawaii since we didn't win last year", the dark-haired shooting guard bluntly stated, causing the equally dark-haired power forward slash captain to shoot a look at the former.

Now that last bit was something that Tsumiko didn't realize when she first heard about the Hawaii plans. What the second-year shooting guard just said dropped down to her hard, now that she was officially a coach. Teikou valued victory more than anything else. Therefore, they must always win, and as a coach she must do her best to lead this team to victory. Believing this, she was determined to take this training camp seriously. She vowed not to give in to the comfy vibe of this place and relax.

"Then, next year we can go to Hawaii, right?"

After hearing those words, she faced the source, and saw Aomine with his usual carefree grin. Unlike her, he was just so unnerved, and it somehow made her a bit jealous. It always amazed her how free-spirited the tan boy was. In basketball, in his studies or just in his life in general, he just doesn't let things affect him, and just does what he can. Because of this, she really enjoyed his company and was thankful at him unknowingly making her feel more at ease.

Taking in what he just said, she convinced herself that okay, maybe, she could take things a little easier.

"Tsk, hell yeah. Bet those officials are choking on their spit now that we won. Next year, I swear I'll be seeing hot chicks in Hawaii."

Another free-spirited one – in a rather different way from Aomine – suddenly spoke up, after probably pretending not to listen to the conversation.

Haizaki might be labeled as the typical rebellious kid at first, but after interacting with him more, she got to know him as not just being rough on the edges and being good at basketball. To her surprise, despite his I-don't-give-a-damn attitude, she learned that he actually has decent grades – better than Aomine. Moreover, what he muttered during the finals still struck her. However, before she could even replay the words in her mind, one more reason as to why she saw him as something more than a rebel, was presented in front of her.

It was his dynamics with the team captain.

Noting this last reason, the white-haired first-year let her lips curve up when she saw the still-pissed second-year glare at the ash-haired first-year.

"Go and choke on your own spit, you brat."

Normally, as a coach, she should get worried at the situation, but strangely, this scene she was currently witnessing brought such relief to her.

Indeed, they did win.

There was nothing major to fret about now.

With two free spirits and a tough captain, there is some sort of balance in the team and nothing could go wrong.

* * *

Everything's gone wrong.

Tsumiko believed.

She's out of breath, her legs hurt, and she's alone in a trail that leads somewhere on top of the hill.

Yes, this is a training camp, and she's not really supposed to chill, but she also recalled that she made a resolve – which includes allowing herself to take things a little easier. Well, this was not taking it easy either.

Now, how did this happen?

The answer was Coach Shirogane had simply decided that it would be fitting for her to try jogging up to the view deck just to know the feel of it, and to further improve in making training regimes for the team.

It did make sense. It _was_ true.

But it was also making her feel tired and sad...but mostly tired.

Deflated, she thought, _'Most of them are probably at the view deck now'_ , then in a snap, she tried to pump herself to jog once again.

It was already late afternoon, and if she doesn't hurry, the sun might set before she could even arrive at her destination.

* * *

"Oi, where's the coach?"

Among with the pants, groans and boisterous laughs and chatters of the first string members, who were currently resting at the view deck, a commanding tone of a certain captain could be heard, as he questioned the couple of second-years that arrived last.

After drinking water, one of the boys responded, "Coach? Ah not sure but, I think she was following behind us."

The other one just shrugged before moving on to his own problems, "Damn, I need to work on my cardio bro."

"You idiots! Why did you leave her behind?"

At the agitated voice of their fellow sophomore, who happened to be their captain as well, the two gulped a bit before talking, "Eh? It's not like we did it on purpose. But, d-dude, we're burned out, and isn't this a race? We don't wanna be part of the last _three_ people to go back y'know."

"Y-yeah, I don't wanna help with the _chores_. Cut us some slack, Nijimura."

With a deep breath, Nijimura crossed his arms, "Fine. But we're all gonna wait. Since we're going down using a different trail, we're not gonna meet her on the way back. Okay?"

In return, he received reluctant nods, and one _awesome_ statement from a random member.

"Um, captain, Haizaki and Aomine have already left...like 10 minutes ago."

The dark-haired teen was still in the middle of scrunching his face even more when a series of _"Oh shit really?"_ , _"Crap, I didn't see them."_ , _"Fuck it. Let's go too."_ , _"Hell no, I ain't gonna be last."_ , were heard as a group of middle-schoolers dashed down the hill, muting out a certain captain's curses.

"You fuckers!"

With clenched fists, he turned around, muttering more curses under his breath, when he was greeted with a sight of _red_.

It almost seemed romantic – if not for the fact that the atmosphere was not complete with the sun still not setting; the fact that he was so mad, tired and just done for such a stressful day; and the fact that it was Akashi Seijuurou, the smart, talented and responsible _kouhai_ he respected enough that he would have no problems if he becomes his adoptive brother.

"Captain, I'll wait as well."

See, he's so reliable.

"I am certain I can catch up with the others."

And confident.

"Or would you prefer it if you go ahead and I stay here instead?

And considera – _wait_.

Did he just offer to wait here?

For her?

 _Alone_?

The kid was indeed reliable, confident and considerate, but why would he be willing to – just...

 _Why?_

And just like that his mind re-winded back to what he just witnessed this morning, and he came up with a possible answer to his own question.

...

 _By the time Nijimura arrived at the gym, the two elder coaches were already present, along with few second-years and Midorima, who was preoccupied with a rather bizarre hat. A few minutes later, their new young coach entered the gym, greeted everyone, then headed towards him._

" _Hey senpai!"_

" _Yo."_

 _Being a great senpai, he pointed at one corner and told her, "You can put your things there", before reaching out to the paper bag on her hands, "Here let me help you", only for him to miss, courtesy of her taking a step back._

 _Shaking her head, she assured him, "No, thank you. I'm fine."_

 _With that reaction, he could only wordlessly nod. He then watch her place her bag down. Afterwards, her dark eyes wandered around the room, while her hands were still holding the paper bag. When she seemingly didn't find what –or was it who?– she was looking for, she approached her green-haired classmate for a chat._

 _Catching his prying_ _–_ _correction, observant_ _–_ _behavior, he reminded himself to mind his own business. So, he busied himself by talking to the other first-string members._

 _Next to arrive was Murasakibara, who instantly joined his fellow first-years in their own bubble. Shortly after the purple giant's arrival, more second-years arrived, and Coach Sanada announced that the bus was already ready. Thus, they gathered their things then walked to the gates, where the bus was waiting. All members present, except the coaches and the captain, then boarded the bus._

 _During the wait, he couldn't help but notice that the person next to him still has the mysterious paper bag in her hands, while she was busy with her phone. Bored and damn curious, he decided to ask her about it but before he could even do so, he saw her eyes dart from her phone's screen to the front, then she beamed. Following her gaze, his eyes caught sight of red._

 _Akashi was walking towards them and greeting them, with his red phone on his hand. The raven-head watched the redhead face the silver-head in anticipation._

" _Good morning, Akashi-san. Sorry for returning it just now, but here is your jacket. Again, thanks for lending it to me during the finals."_

' _Jacket? Finals?'_

 _Nijimura internally 'ooohh-ed' as he finally put two and two together. Immediately after, he internally scolded himself for being nosy._

 _Taking the paper bag from her hands, the owner of the jacket returned her smile with a smaller one, "No problem, Irosuzuka. I thank you as well."_

 _She briefly shook her head then gestured to the bus while saying, "Ah, go ahead and place your things inside first."_

" _Please, excuse me then."_

 _Nijimura didn't even have a moment to absorb the_ _probably-private e_ _xchange he had just seen, when he heard Sekiguchi's cheery voice from a distance. His blond-haired classmate jogged towards them, with Kubota strolling behind him._

 _Seriously, those two almost showed up later than the designated meet-up time. Thinking about the late-comers, which consisted of their manager, her best friend, and that ash-haired kid, he decided to call them._

" _Shall I text Momoi-san?", he heard the girl on his right spoke._

 _Just as he was about to reply, though, someone beat him to it, "Yes."_

 _Ah, so the vice-captain's back. He could ask him to call the others._

" _Although it's a given that we'll have more progress with Momoi, I'll contact Aomine, just to be more sure."_

 _What._

 _The playful tone in Akashi's voice sort of caught Nijimura off-guard, he could only unblinkingly stare as Tsumiko giggled and agreed, all the while glancing at the boy on her right while typing on her phone._

 _Feeling dumb and weird at watching the two – heck, he wasn't like this when she was talking to Midorima earlier – he finally blinked and mentally slapped himself. Irritated and left with no choice, he proceeded to find 'Haizaki' in his contacts. Gripping his phone tight and with more force than usual, he pressed the call button._

* * *

Tsumiko was feeling great.

No, really, she was.

With one final step upwards and a gulp of water, she felt so refreshed. Despite her erratic breaths, she somehow felt energized. Maybe it was because of the adrenaline, or the feeling of accomplishment, or just the feeling of being fit. Whatever it was, she knew that after a few minutes of rest, she could manage to go back to the villa, as a changed person – a stronger person.

Chuckling at her own dramatic thoughts, she blamed them on the wonderful scenery she could now see at the view deck. As soon as she realized she was seeing a back of a person standing before the railings, however, she pursed her lips.

Looking around, she confirmed that it was just the two of them up here.

As if in slow motion, the said figure turned around slowly.

The view from the top of the hill was lovely. Sundown just began, so the sun was still present, but a little amounts of orange and yellow hues were already starting to blend with the blue color of the almost-cloudless sky. The only sound she could hear, as of the moment, was the beating of her own heart.

A perfect summer sunset.

It almost seemed romantic.

 _Or_.

Maybe, it was romantic.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Ahh!** **Who could it be? Nijimura? Akashi? o.O**

 **Let me know if you want it to be Nijimura or Akashi! ;) Or maybe a completely random first-string member, if you want (lol)**


	17. 真: Chapter 16

It was romantic.

That was her verdict.

With only the two of them on top of the hill, distantly standing opposite each other under a colorful sky, as the weakening sunlight shone on the white-haired girl, yet, casted a shadow on the black-haired boy – effectively creating a beautiful contrast – this scenario was nothing but romantic.

She was standing still, slowly tilting her head up to meet his gaze while he was silently closing the distance between them. When there was roughly a little more than a feet between them, a deep voice broke the silence.

"Rest for five minutes, then let's go back."

And just like that, he turned his back against her and walked back to the railings – leaving her confused and feeling oddly cold in the summer.

* * *

The walk slash jog back to the villa with the captain was filled with nothing but quick breaths and shoes meeting the ground. Although Nijimura was still his kind self by not leaving her behind and patiently going with her pacing, Tsumiko knew that there was something off about him, and it was seriously bugging her.

Despite their surroundings getting darker and them being only a few meters away from the villa, the first year stopped in her tracks and lowered her head at the second-year, who immediately paused as well.

"I apologize for having you wait for me and dragging you into the punishment for being the last ones to arrive. I vow to be a better coach, and train more, so.."

When she felt hands on her shoulders, she raised her head to meet the scowling teen, who was finally speaking, "Oi! Oi! Stop being so formal. Why are you sorry?"

Blinking rapidly, she asked back, "B-but aren't you mad?"

She could see his facial expressions shift, as his scowl deepened when he replied, "Mad? What? I– ", as his eyes shut when he sighed, and as his face became more relaxed when he stated, "No, I'm not mad."

"But still, you had to wait and.."

"I wanted to."

She was not given the chance to even breathe, as he continued, "So fucking stop this shit."

As quick as he had uttered those words, he had also came to realize his crudeness, and tried to redeem himself by adding "...Please."

Still in the process of absorbing the situation, Tsumiko could only crack a smile and nod.

And just like that, he retracted his hands and turned his back against her again.

"Let's go. It's getting dark."

Despite him saying that, though, the two of them just strolled side by side – talking about stuff, such as the training camp; guessing what chore would they be assigned to do as punishment; and Nijimura learning that she was about to get her own jersey jacket.

* * *

The silver-haired girl was ready to take on any chore, except this.

"Iro-chan! See, this is how it's done...I think"

"Um, I'm not sure if that's how you slice a carrot for fried rice, Momoi-chan."

Looking at the round carrot slices on her chopping board, and comparing it to the other's long carrot strips, Tsumiko returned her friend's frustrated smile and shrugged, "but I don't think I got it right either", before they softly chuckled together.

Helping in cooking breakfast for the second day of the camp was the task given to the young coach and captain. The manager simply believed that helping out in general was part of her responsibility, in addition to her initial interest in cooking. Unfortunately for the two girls, who were both considered to be promising in their roles in the team, they weren't exactly gifted and experienced in the culinary field.

"Oh my! You young girls really need to learn how to cook", the middle-aged lady, who was the head of the kitchen staff, playfully remarked once she passed by them. Gently patting both of them at their backs, she called out to the other middle-schooler inside the kitchen, "Nijimura-kun?"

The said boy, who just arrived minutes ago after finishing early in the team's morning training, quickly answered, "Yes", while walking towards them with a bowl of perfectly sliced onions on his hands, "I finished chopping the onions."

In the perspective of both of the first-years, the bowl of onions was sparkling, and in the perspective of the shorter first-year only, the second-year was sparkling as well.

Satisfied at the onions, the head lady nodded, "Nijimura-kun, since you mentioned that you knew how to cook fried rice, I hope you can guide these two. Just assist and listen to the other kitchen staff, and if you need something, I'll be over there cooking sausages and eggs, okay?"

Both the dark-haired and the light-haired students politely bowed, "Yes, we'll work hard", whereas, the pink-haired one raised her right hand then spoke, "Um, I would like to help out with the eggs and sausages, would it be okay?"

"Sure, follow me", the lady warmly replied.

The pinkette only looked back at her schoolmates to _innocently_ grin.

Before Tsumiko could even be enveloped by the embarrassment caused by the fact that she was bad at cooking, Nijimura already helped her with it through his comment, "Shall we begin with the carrots, _ojousama_?"

The rest of their time in the kitchen was spent with them assisting the kitchen staff – with the older boy teasing her, but at the same time showing her the correct way in doing things. It was when the fried rice was almost complete, that the younger girl finally saw a chance to get back at her senior.

"You're really meticulous with the taste, huh? You're too serious now, senpai", she attempted to tease him, as she watched him taste the fried rice then add random stuff, then do it all over again. The male kitchen staff beside them could only step back and let the black-haired kid meet his satisfaction.

Sprinkling what appeared to be salt - or was it sugar (honestly Tsumiko had a hard time in differentiating between the two, as proven by a very prior incident that would not be mentioned anymore) – the fried rice master revealed, "Of course. Fried rice _is_ my favorite food."

"So that's why! I wonder who taught you how to cook this", the ridiculously amateur cook 'oohed', with the male kitchen staff joining in, before masking his amusement with a cough.

There was a short pause, and Tsumiko caught a brief glazed look in his dark eyes, before the latter responded, "I learned it together with my sister."

There was another pause, and the male kitchen staff tried to fill it with one more cough, and one more. Fortunately for the staff's throat and lungs, the oblivious cause of the awkwardness finally smirked then celebrated, "Okay, much better!"

Immediately after, Nijimura took another chopstick of fried rice, then proudly guided the chopsticks towards his junior, "Here, try this."

Perplexed by the offer and how the chopsticks was already near her lips, Tsumiko let him feed her. Once the flavors exploded in her mouth, she wordlessly bobbed her head in glee – causing her to literally forget whatever questions she previously had, and to not realize that they shared the same chopsticks.

The male staff, who was just observing them, checked the time and decided to pop the kids' own bubble by one last cough.

* * *

If there were two things that Murasakibara Atsushi cared about, those would be food and snacks.

Yes, snacks _are_ food, but they're so great, they needed to be placed separately from food, in general, for emphasis.

If there were two things that he hated about this camp, those would be the tiring and bothersome training, and the limited intake of snacks, due to this being a training camp.

Because of this drought of snacks in his system, he had to compensate with food – which kind of sucks because their food intake were monitored, as well.

With this on thought, the purple giant grimaced at his almost-empty second bowl of fried rice.

Although the fried rice was still not as tasty as his snacks, whoever made it still did a good job in making it. Too hungry, he kinda just heard words before the food was served, but failed to digest them. However, now that he had eaten something, he decided to spare just a little effort and energy to at least mentally acknowledge those who cooked the delicious fried rice. From what his mind recalled and processed, their manager, captain and new coach were the ones who helped in cooking their group's breakfast, but the captain and coach were specifically assigned with the fried rice.

 _Yay_ , good job to them, but that wasn't enough to make him happy.

Still not reaching his fill, he pouted at his now-empty second bowl of rice.

Glancing at his left, he saw that the much shorter boy next to him still had around half of fried rice in his bowl.

He wanted more.

But it was a hassle to raise his hands and ask for seconds.

Aka-chin would probably let him have some. He couldn't remember a time when the vice-captain rejected him after asking for some of his share previous times. Sometimes, he didn't even need to ask for Aka-chin to give him part of his portion. The redhead had little appetite in Murasakibara's standards. It was no wonder why Aka-chin was tiny.

Shouldn't he eat more to grow taller, though?

But then again, sometimes he just doesn't get Aka-chin.

An example was yesterday at the view deck. It was when the others suddenly began rushing down the hill, while he was still enjoying his spot on a bench. Mido-chin and Aka-chin weren't really joining the flock of boys, so he decided to just wait for what Aka-chin would do, since Aka-chin always acted as if everything was just going according to his plans. Suddenly, Aka-chin, ever so confident, told them to go ahead without him. He said that he'll wait for Iro-chin with the captain. When Mido-chin reminded him about the punishment, Aka-chin simply said that it won't be long until he'll be following after them.

And it was true.

It took him just a few minutes before he caught up with the two of them, overtaking most of the exhausted second-years. When Mido-chin asked about the captain and the coach, he made another one of his vague replies, _"The sunset is a must for them to enjoy."_

Again, Aka-chin spoke as if everything just sailed smoothly for him.

Just what're his plans exactly?

"Aka-chin, are you going to eat the rest of your fried rice?", he finally asked.

Ever so politely, and probably for the first time, the vice-captain sent out a rejection, "My apologies, Murasakibara. This fried rice is just delectable, I am already considering asking for seconds myself."

Ah, Aka-chin's just too sly.

He wasn't completely sure, but after hearing such answer and seeing the other's satisfied expression through his purple eyes, he finally got some idea about Aka-chin's plans.

"Murasakibara, first of all, you should watch your diet. Second, if you want more, go get more yourself, and stop asking others' share."

Sighing, the purple head stretched his long right arm and asked for seconds, before shaking his head at the boy on his right, "Mido-chin, _you_ just don't get it."

" _What_?"

* * *

The camp went by fast, that Tsumiko didn't have the time to visit the villa's rose garden she had seen in one picture at the villa's reception. She finally remembered about it during their last night at the camp, when she was having difficulty in going to sleep. Convincing herself that she had no other chance since they were leaving early morning, she stood up from her futon then slowly opened and closed the sliding door – careful not to wake up her camp roommate, Momoi.

Their room was at one end, along with their coaches' room and a comfort room, so she had to pass through both of the rooms of the second years and first years, and another comfort room to get to the back of the villa, where the rose garden was located.

Once she had reached the _engawa_ or veranda, she saw a typical Japanese garden, that was lit by garden lights. At one side of the garden, there were bushes of pink and red roses. Not wasting any more time, she leaped then skipped to the roses.

The first thing she had noticed was that the rose bushes appeared to be well-maintained and trimmed, with the bushes not being as tall as her. Buds of white, red, and pink roses were beginning to bloom. Back in Tokyo, they have a single bush of red roses in their garden, whereas in Kyoto, her grandmother have roses in different colors, except the yellow ones – with the belief that yellow roses symbolize jealousy and pain.

"Irosuzuka?"

Randomly and suddenly hearing her name in the middle of her secret visit to the rose garden in the middle of the night, she shrieked and sharply turned around. It took her some moment of staring for her to calm herself a bit and figure out who the person at the _engawa_ was.

"Akashi-san?"

"Lovely evening, Irosuzuka."

Still flustered at being caught sneaking at the garden, she hurriedly approached the redhead standing at the _engawa_ , while trying her best in asking him casually, "Uh, w-what are you doing here? Why are you still up?"

In contrast to her stuttering, her fellow first-year smoothly talked, "I wish to read a book."

Understanding that he probably didn't want to turn the lights on in their room, as it might disrupt his fellow first-years' sleep, she only 'ooh-ed', while raising her head to meet his eyes. She continued to follow his gaze, as he wordlessly sat down at the edge of the _engawa_ and directly in front of her.

Instinctively, she looked away while answering his unspoken question, "I..uh.. I was just looking at the roses."

"Hmm, it must be a unique experience to go flower viewing at night."

"I heard they have a rose garden, but I've been busy with the camp so I wasn't able to visit. So, tonight's my only chance before we go back tomorrow morning", she immediately explained, before catching on to his teasing. Even more defensive, she looked back at him and resumed, "B-besides! It is not that odd to view flowers at night, since some flowers bloom during night time."

Showing a hint of genuine interest, his eyebrows raised, "Oh? Flowers that bloom in the dark? I believe I might have read about them before."

"Yeah! I hope to see one some time."

"So, are there such flowers in this garden?"

A little embarrassed at not being able to prove her point, she decided that it was better to sit beside him than to dumbly stand in front of him and meet his ruby eyes directly, "No, I'm not sure. But my grandmother told me that they're usually more fragrant to attract pollinators like insects."

"I see you have inherited your grandmother's interest in flowers."

She hummed then slightly turned her head to the left and locked eyes with him, "You know about my grandmother?", only for him to break away and look forward, as soon as she had finished asking.

"I simply know her from the _Ikebanas_ she had generously sent to our house...before...and.."

Tsumiko had a feeling of deja-vu, when she noticed a change in Akashi's gaze for a moment. It was vacant, as if he was reminiscing a memory. The situation felt similar with Nijimura's glazed look at the kitchen before.

As fast as he shifted his focus back to her, he shifted the topic, "Can I therefore assume that you could make an _Ikebana_ as well?"

Caught off guard, she looked down then tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Uh, I'm still learning, so please don't expect anything. I'm certainly nowhere near my grandmother."

Her dark eyes then lit up after remembering something, "Akashi-san, you've been at the past birthday parties of Kobayashi Corporation's Chairman, right?"

"Yes, I have. Kobayashi-san is still very energetic, despite his old age."

Kobayashi Corporation was considered to be Japan's top construction company – home to Japan's best engineers, architects, designers and etc. It was not surprising for the Akashi group of companies to be one of their clients and partners. The same goes with a shipping company as of that of the Irosuzukas. Despite this, Tsumiko has never been to his party before. Unlike her brother and apparently, unlike her redhead classmate, she seldom attends such high-class parties. It was because her parents thought that she was still too young. This year, though, her parents deemed that as a middle schooler, she was already old enough, but this didn't mean that she was not feeling like a newborn, especially if there were expectations everywhere.

"The truth is, it's my first time going to his party and I'm feeling anxious. I was asked to perform a live _Ikebana_ as a gift for his birthday next month. I heard you played the piano last year. Are you performing this year as well?"

Nodding, he replied, "I'm planning to play the violin this year."

"That's great. I'm still not decided on which flowers I shall use. It's difficult to find good flowers on September", she drawled, until her eyes landed on the book at his lap, "Ah! You're supposed to read a book, right? Sorry, go ahead."

"No worries. I have also interrupted your viewing, have I not?"

Shaking her head as her response, she jumped off the _engawa_ , then gestured towards the roses, "Then, I'll be right over there."

It took her around 20 minutes to skip back to the _engawa_ , and silently sit next to the vice-captain, who was absorbed in his book. After hearing a few more pages being turned, she heard a book being closed and Akashi's gentle voice, "How was it?"

"The roses were just starting to bloom. But, I saw a yellow rose", she excitedly said, while staring into his red orbs.

Slightly tilting his head, he inquired, "Are yellow roses supposed to be special?"

She let out a giggle at her own shallowness, "Not really. It's just that yellow roses usually bloom during spring. But some could still bloom until late summer, so I was just a little surprised to see one here."

At her amusement, he offered her a fond smile, "I see. Well then, shall we go now?"

"Is it okay? Are you done reading?"

"Yes. Let's go."

Seeing him standing up, she followed suit, and started walking next to him.

She tried to decipher what kind of book was he reading by peeking at its cover, but when she failed to do so, she gave up, "What's the book about?"

He faced her then smiled, "Greek mythology."

This caused her to gape at him, "Ah, that's so amazing!"

At her reaction, he could only blink and wait for her to speak again, "You actually remind me of someone I know. He reads a lot even if exams are coming up."

"Is that so? He sounds like a very confident person."

Finding what he just said to be funny, she bit her lip, before disagreeing, "I can't say that. In fact, I think he needs to boost up his self-esteem more."

"Oh! He's in the third-string, by the way", she added, as they near the room of the first-year boys.

At that information, Akashi raised his eyebrows.

With a single nod, she resumed, "He's also a freshman. His name is –", only for both of them to stop in their place, when the comfort room's door at their left side opened – revealing a raven-haired teen, who also froze as soon as he saw them.

.

.

.

"Yo. What are you two doing?"

Out of white and red, the redhead was quicker to respond, "We simply bumped into each other at the _engawa_. I was reading a book, while she was looking at the flowers."

Nijimura slowly bobbed his head, "Um, okay", before walking towards the second-years' room at their right. He glanced at them one last time, "Just go to sleep. We leave early tomorrow", before going inside the room.

Tsumiko finally spoke, "Yes."

In her right periphery, she saw Akashi walking away as well. He looked back at her, then politely lowered his head, "Well then, I'll be going inside, now."

When she returned his bow, she heard the door being shut. A weird feeling welled inside of her and after blinking at the two adjacent doors, she decided to ignore it and just go back to her own room.

* * *

Sliding the door behind her, she was relieved to see that she had not woken Momoi up. Carefully sliding into her futon, she felt her phone inside, so she took it out. With her phone on one hand, the ice popsicle key-chain dangled, as she checked the time. It was almost midnight, and there were two unread messages during the past hour from a certain yellow-haired model.

" _Hey hey hey! The photoshoot I told you about was moved to an earlier date. It will be this Friday-ssu~~. You still goin?"_

" _Oops, you're probably asleep already since you're at a camp lol."_

Appreciating Kise staying true to his words and updating her, she replied,

" _Hello, Kise-san. We'll be going back to Tokyo tomorrow, so I'm available on that day. Thank you. Good night."_

She then realized that she hasn't properly wished the other two boys a good night, so she typed in a message for each of them.

" _Good night, Nijimura-senpai."_

" _Good night, Akashi-san."_

After pressing send, she placed her phone at her side, and prepared to finally sleep. It took only a few minutes for her phone to go off.

" _Aha! You're still awake. Did you just ignore my text? No fan ignores me, Irosuzuka-chan~"_

Thinking that he deserved an explanation, she messaged him back,

" _I apologize for the late response. I went out and left my phone in the room."_

Re-reading his text, she rolled her eyes at his last remark,

" _And I'm not a fan."_

At the same time she had sent that, another message came in,

" _Geez, you're being too formal again. I told 'ya to drop that."_

Then another,

" _Whatever~ But what could you be doing outside late at night, hmmm? Did you meet with anyone? Oh oh Irosuzuka-chan~"_

Shaking her head at his teasing, she teased him back,

" _It's none of your business, Kise-san."_

Despite not seeing him for a long time, she could almost imagine his "hurt" expression from his reply,

" _Why are you so mean? Can't wait to end our deal and say goodbye to you. LOL."_

Feeling sleepy, she texted him,

" _Good night, Kise-san."_

" _So cold~ You must be tired lol. Nighty night, Irosuzuka-chan~ See you!"_

Even if she enjoyed the little banter with the blonde, she still remained bothered by the dark-haired and red-haired boys, and their lack of response. For the last time that night, she keyed in a message,

" _Thanks for replying, Kise-san."_

It took a few minutes before the first-year model answered,

" _Uh, you're welcome?"_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hey! How are you guys doin'?**

 **First of all, thank you so much to all the reviews! ;A;**

 **To _AliceRuiLin_ , ikr it was also hard for me to choose T-T But in the end, I decided to pick Nijimura. I hope it's fine with you. The same goes t** **o _aikioikawa_. I gotta give this moment to Niji-captain first! Aww sorry :( don't worry, there will be more interactions with Akashi! I still have plans for the three of them ;)**

 **To the _guest_ who reviewed, I hope I satisfied you with Niji-senpai! **

**To all of the new followers, thanks and welcome to this story. To all the faves, as well, thank you!**

 **Anyway, how did you guys find Murasakibara's POV? (lol) And yes, Kise's back, yay! Please do share your thoughts on this chapter :)**


	18. 真: Chapter 17

**A/N:**

 **Hi everyone!**

 **So I just realized that it has been a year since I started this fic, and WOW time flew fast.**

 **I know that the romance is slow, but there are some details and developments that I don't want to rush. Sorry T-T**

 **But! Don't worry, there will be more action in the next chapters ;)**

 **Thus, I'm really really thankful to all of you, who are reading this fic very patiently ;A; To those who were following this fic since last year, thank you for staying! And of course, to those who are new here, thank you!**

 **I hope I made your hearts flutter with this story, and please do enjoy the rest of the story~**

 **I luv y'all :)**

 **Okay, okay, enough of the drama (lol) and let's get started!**

* * *

" _Yo. Sorry, I fell asleep."_

It was already the nth time she has read that same message on her phone, as she was seating on one corner of a studio – trying to make her presence as low as possible and hoping that she wasn't bothering any of the people who were scurrying around her.

Initially, Tsumiko didn't think much of the text Nijimura had sent her the morning of the day they left the villa, because Akashi had done the same thing,

" _Good morning. I apologize for the late response, as I have already fallen asleep last night."_

However, feeling out of place in a room of lights and cameras, she could only busy herself with her phone, and after repeatedly reading the last message she had received from her crush a few days ago, she was starting to speculate that he was acting a little odd again. Playing with the fibers of her tattered jeans, she recalled that they didn't really talk that morning.

But then again, maybe her current situation in this photo-shoot was just causing her to be more anxious and to overthink –

"Model ready?"

She stopped on her thoughts when a familiar cheery voice replied, "Yes, I'm coming!"

A blonde then emerged from the dressing room and rushed to the middle of the set.

As soon as she saw Kise Ryouta, made up and wearing a red and black training wear, she held back a breath.

He seemed familiar but then at the same time, she felt like she was meeting him for the first time.

Maybe it's because it's been quite some time since she last saw him and earlier, his manager was the one who accompanied her here, while he was getting prepped up – _or_ maybe, it was because of one thing she couldn't deny anymore.

He was stunning.

He really looked like a model – heck, he _was_ a rookie model – and the fact that she was now witnessing an actual photo-shoot for the first time was starting to sink in.

Was she fan-girling?

Yes.

Yes, she was.

 _But_ , he didn't need to know that.

Therefore, when Kise found her, she _casually_ – more like, awkwardly lifted her arm and gestured a good luck, which was returned by a beam from him.

For the rest of the shoot, she watched him do multiple poses and adjust his poses depending on the instructions given. Despite being relatively new in the industry, she noted that he was a fast learner, because by the time of the third and last sporty outfit, he appeared to be more confident with his poses, and the staff were visibly satisfied.

When the shoot ended, Kise first thanked the staff, who praised him, before approaching her.

Shiny light orbs met her dark ones, "Hey! How was it?"

"Congratulations, Kise-san", she chirped, but after seeing him prettier up-close, she started feeling bashful and even smaller. Looking away from him and around the studio, she continued, "I still can't believe I just saw a photo-shoot. Thank you for this."

"Uh, yeah. Now I don't owe you anything anymore", the blonde chuckled, but for some reason it sounded a little strained. To be fair, she had also became aware that she was being uneasy herself.

Good thing, Kise's manager went near them and prompted the model to change his clothes.

Sitting on the couch inside the dressing room, she quietly waited for said model to finish changing into his own clothes, while his manager sat at the other end of the couch, probably doing some managerial things on his phone. When Kise was done, he sat on the chair in front of the mirror and across the couch.

.

.

.

The two first years just blinked at each other, and that's when they both realized that they have nothing to talk about. Because they didn't know much about each other, Tsumiko thought of a thing she was curious about.

"I was just wondering how did you get into modeling?"

At the sound of her voice breaking the silence, she saw him sit straight – in contrast to his unwavering glowing and carefree character.

"My older sister. She's taking up media design, so she knows some people in the industry."

"I see. I didn't know you had a sister."

"Sisters actually. The other one's a first year high school student."

"Oh, just like my brother."

"Ahh."

 **.**

' _What is this?'_ , she mused, while maintaining a composed facade in such a painfully awkward atmosphere.

 **.**

"You really looked like an athlete earlier. Do you play any sports?"

"Yeah, I played some before, but now I'm into baseball."

"Are you in the Teikou baseball club?"

"Nope."

"Oh."

 **.**

' _Is this an interview? Am I a reporter?'_ were the thoughts running in her mind, until he canceled them by doing the asking, at last.

 **.**

"By the way, congrats to you and the basketball team again! How was the camp?"

"Thank you. Being an actual coach, I felt more pressured. It was tiring, but fun."

"Hmm, wait – _actual_ coach?"

"You could say I got promoted because I passed the final test, which was to win the Nationals. But of course, my training is continuous."

"Coach Irosuzuka?"

"Please, there's no need for the 'coach'".

"Okay."

 **.**

 _'Someone, please save us'_ , she wished.

 **.**

"Ryouta-kun, your sister said that she's done, and she's already on her way here."

 **.**

' _Thank you manager-san!'_

 **.**

Once the manager spoke, she noticed that there was a brief alarmed look in Kise's pretty face, before he rose to his feet, "Ah, Irosuzuka-san, sorry but my sister could be very curious sometimes, so it might be better if you don't meet her."

Seeing this as an opportunity to escape, she ignored the more formal honorific he just used and stood up and bowed at both of the males, "Is that so? It's getting late anyways, I shall be going."

"I'll accompany you to the ground floor."

Caught off guard with his out-of-character-demeanor, she courteously declined, "You don't need to –"

"Its's okay."

"Uh, if you insist."

The trip to the ground floor was stiff and wordless. When they reached the lobby of the building – which she recognized as the same building she had visited last spring, along with her brother, Nijimura, and the rest of the starting players of last year – the blonde was the first to speak, this time.

"Sorry, I can't go with you to the station."

"No. I understand. I better get going now. I'm really grateful, Kise-san."

"Sure, you can watch again next time."

.

.

.

"Or not."

.

.

.

Golden and opal eyes widened when both owners realized that they just spoke their mind out loud and that their voices just chorused.

Relieved that they share the same sentiment, they both dropped their shoulders and loudly sighed.

Tsumiko was already happy to see a photo-shoot live, but seeing how her experience was, she believed that once was enough and that she would't want to do this again – or at the very least, for now.

Staying out of the way of the people about to use the elevators, she moved to the side and gestured him to follow suit, as she spilled her suspicions, "You're not really allowed to bring someone in the shoot, right?"

"A girl, yeah. My manager kinda didn't know until I remembered to tell him this morning."

Before she could even retort, he already had an explanation prepared, "But I promised that this is the first and last – at least for now, because, you know, I just started modeling."

As if he just remembered something important, he gripped his hair then pointed at her unbelievably, "But wait how 'bout you? You're now a coach? _And_ your family's like _really_ rich, right?"

Not really expecting and appreciating that kind of reaction from him, she furrowed her brows at him, "How'd you know about that last one?"

"Um...well, my manager did some research", he admitted, while lowering both his arms and the tone of his voice.

With this, she had placed the pieces together, "So that's why you were being more polite than usual."

"Huh? N-no! You're the one who's so polite and formal."

"I've always been like this. You're the one acting strange."

" _You're_ the one acting strange! Being shy and all. Like you're a fan or something."

"W-what? I'm not a fan!"

"C'mon just admit that you're one, Irosuzuka-chan~"

"No way."

"You are-ssu~"

"No- _ssu_!"

"Yes-ssu~ You kept on watching me and you even took pictures-ssu~"

"O-of course! What was I supposed to do? Also, I took pictures of the shoot as a souvenir – wait, how'd you even know I took pictures? Maybe, _you're_ the one who's watching me."

"Wha– I wasn't! I just – ", Kise paused then burst into laughter.

Not really ready to lose the argument, she crossed her arms, "Excuse me? What's funny?"

"This is better! This is how its supposed to be", he said in between laughters.

Having a hunch of what he meant, their silliness and childishness began to register in her brain. She compared it to their previous reserved and formal selves, and she couldn't stop herself in giggling, as well – partially blaming it on Kise and his contagious aura.

When they finally steadied their breaths, Tsumiko checked the time, then gave him one last smile, "I should really go now. See you at school."

"Still not a fan, though", she didn't forget to add, but afterwards, she tried to be a little more honest, "But I have to admit, you looked cool earlier."

The rookie model exaggeratedly clutched his chest, "Aww, I'm touched~", before shifting to his more genuine mode, "Bye-bye Irocchi!"

At her visible confusion, he automatically supplied, "I add -cchi to the people I respect."

She was still in the middle of processing, when she saw him dash towards the elevators and pressed the 'up' button. Once the full implication of his way of calling people settled in her mind, he was already inside the elevator and was playfully grinning at her.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? You only started respecting me, now?", she called him out, to which he just responded by teasingly waving at her, until the elevator doors closed.

As if that wasn't enough, she received a message from him, just a few minutes after.

" _Don't get shy when you see me at school Iro-cchi~ Oh and send me the pictures you took! I know I look handsome in them. Thanks-ssu~"_

On the way home, she browsed the photos and picked the best one to send.

" _This is the only photo that had you."_

It was a picture of Kise, in an awkward and cringe-worthy pose that obviously screamed amateur.

* * *

Summer break ended and school finally resumed. The first day was light, since it was meant for submitting and discussing homeworks done over the break, and for catching up and sharing summer stories among friends. Tsumiko was feeling relatively relaxed, until her stress levels shot up abruptly when her dark-haired friend blurted out,

"Nijimura Shuuzo!"

"Mizuki-chan!", Tsumiko shushed, as she surveyed the classroom. Thankfully, it was lunch break, so both Akashi and Midorima were probably playing shogi, and there were only a few people inside the room, who seem to be engrossed in their own bubbles.

"Complete name? Wow", Chitose remarked, appearing to also be shocked at their friend's knowledge, when Tsumiko only told them ' _captain_ ', while she was finally revealing who her crush was.

Mizuki shrugged, "Kogure-kun kept on talking about how 'awesome Captain Nijimura is' ever since the nationals, so of course I'd remember his name."

"Oh, so you two met a lot during the break?"

At the brown-haired girl's teasing, the black-haired one confidently answered, "We're neighbors", before retaliating, "How 'bout you, Chi-chan? Haven't met anyone over the break? Hmm?"

"No one."

Chitose's reply came too quick that Tsumiko started doubting, but before she could ask, Mizuki swiftly brought back the focus to her.

"Anyway, I can see why you like him, Irosuzuka-chan. So, do you think he likes you back?"

"Um, I don't think so."

After some hesitations, she voiced out her worries, "In fact, I think he's been avoiding me? We didn't really talk much ever since camp. Also earlier, he told Akashi-san to attend the student council meeting this Wednesday, instead of him. _We_ were supposed to be the two representatives of the club for that meeting, but he said that Akashi-san was better than him at stuff like that. I mean, he has a point, but I just feel like there's more to it, or am I just overthinking?"

"Yup, maybe you're over –"

"No, she's not.", Mizuki cut Chitose off, then slowly laid her theory down.

"Maybe, he thinks that you like Akashi-kun."

* * *

Tsumiko didn't get it. If what Mizuki said was true, why would the second-year even think about that? This theory has stuck in her mind that she just disturbingly stared at Momoi's eyes when the latter asked her the following morning at practice, "Iro-chan, what do you think about Aomine-kun?"

' _Aomine-san? Not only Akashi-san, but also Aomine-san! Oh no, who else?'_ , were her panicked thoughts.

Meanwhile, pink eyes began to turn worrisome.

"Sorry for surprising you with my randomness! But, it's just that Micchan and Acchan seem to have a crush on him. I don't get it. He's just a basketball junkie."

Blinking, the dark-eyed girl recalled two of the team managers from the nicknames, "Ahh, Arai-san and Kikuchi-san, right?"

At the pinkette manager's confirmation, the young coach finally loosened her shoulders, went back to watching the practice match, and gave an answer, "Well, aside from being really good in basketball, he's really passionate, so maybe that's what makes him attractive. Just seeing him smile and enjoy what he does could make anyone admire him, I guess"– not forgetting to take note of Aomine's incredible footwork, which she would try to strengthen even more soon.

"Seeing him happy makes me happy too. Maybe I've been with him too long, I just can't see what they see in that idiot."

Tsumiko let out a fond smile at her friend, who had her brows creased while following the tan boy on court. This serenity, however, only lasted for a while because her friend had one more question.

"Anyway, how about Akashi-kun?"

Getting tense once again, her gaze instantly darted to the two figures – who were also observing the practice match at the opposite side of the gym, – as Momoi continued, "They're calling him 'Akashi-sama' now, you know. I know he's already vice-captain and stuff, but '-sama', really?"

Focusing on her job, dark orbs shifted from black and red to green, as Midorima prepared to make a shot.

With a calm tone, she replied, "That's not so surprising, and '-sama' does suit him. I'm sure _anyone_ would like him", only for her to be defensive, when she immediately realized what she had said, "Except me! I mean...just not in _that_ manner."

Just to make sure, she casted a glance towards the captain, before turning to her side and meeting puzzled pink lenses, which shortly turned into knowing ones, "Since you only have eyes on Nijimura-senpai, right?"

Still wary, she just absentmindedly nodded until she became aware and embarrassed at her own response, "Wait! Please, that's so cheesy!"

"Nice block, Murasakibara", she heard someone say, causing her to turn towards the court again.

Frustrated at failing to see Murasakibara's block, she tried to ignore Momoi's giggles and let her attention be on Haizaki, who was currently driving towards the basket. Despite this, she still heard the girl beside her say,

"Ah, I want to like someone too."

* * *

"I like someone!"

"Pardon?"

It was early in the morning, and Tsumiko just got to the gym, so she wasn't sure if she had heard right. Most importantly, though, it was literally just a day since they talked.

"I think it's fate! You see, I still don't know his name and for some reason, I can't find much information about him, except that he's also from Teikou, but that's okay! I decided that I will not try to search anymore. I believe that fate would let us meet again soon!"

"Okay. But, what made you like this person?", she asked, as she tied her silver tresses up in a ponytail.

"This!"

A winning popsicle stick.

"He gave me this yesterday! Romantic, right?"

"Uh, maybe?"

At her uncertainty, the manager reminded her, "Oh come on,captain gave one to you too before! That's why you have the key-chain on your phone, right?"

Remembering that moment and hearing the gym get noisier because of more first-string members arriving, she shyly said,"Well yeah, but we just claimed it together."

"And I'm not gonna claim the prize. I'll keep this stick forever~"

Skeptic, she worriedly faced the taller female, "No offense, Momoi-chan, but are you really sure you like him?"

The peach-haired girl's radiant expression mellowed a bit, "I know it's sudden and weird, but I think I do. He's mysterious, but somehow, I feel like he's a good person, and that he's different."

Scanning the gym, the young coach first announced, "To those who just arrived, please start stretching. Warm-up begins in 10 minutes!", before showing her friend her support.

"Then, I'll trust your womanly instincts. I hope you see him again soon, and I look forward to meeting him, as well."

* * *

Later that day, after classes ended, both Tsumiko and Akashi attended the student council meeting. She was thankful that Mizuki, who was representing the entrepreneurship club, was seated beside her during the meeting because honestly, she started to feel a little awkward with her red-haired classmate ever since Mizuki's theory. It didn't really help that the same girl was teasing her from time to time during the meeting. Fortunately, the boy on her right appeared to be absorbed in the concerns being tackled by the council, as he remained silent all throughout the meeting.

However, now that she had thought about it, the vice-captain has been a little too quiet lately – as if he was contemplating about something.

As she walked next to him towards the gym, she noticed his distant gaze, and she couldn't help but be bothered.

"Are you sure you don't have any questions to the council?"

No response.

She tried again, "Akashi-san?"

Without delay this time, the redhead turned towards her and it amazed her how he had actually managed to hear her question, as he answered, "They simply discussed the usual matters. Thus, there really is nothing for me to clarify or inquire about. Unless, you have something in mind?"

She shook her head then explained, "I just thought that maybe you had questions, since you seem to be preoccupied by something."

He faced forward and slightly raised the corners of his mouth, "Midorima had told me something similar", and soon after, he became more pensive, as he spoke, "I have just come to a conclusion that our team would unmistakably be a lot better and more invincible if we had a sixth man that could allow our team to change the pace and momentum whenever necessary."

"Wouldn't you agree?"

While he asked, she found ruby lens staring at her – leading her to avert her opal ones and ponder about what he just stated, "A sixth man. I see, that is a great point, but who?"

.

.

.

"Stop joking, Satsuki. You sure are obsessed with aliens and ghosts, huh?"

Both silver and red heads sprung towards the direction of the familiar voice and nickname, causing them to pause just before the gym's entrance.

"But it's true! Noises of a ball can be heard in the third string gym."

"A ghost that plays basketball? Now, that's a fucking cool ghost – _except_ it's not real. Bye, Satsuki."

"Mou Aomine-kun~ Make it fast! When the others finish their drills, you guys will be playing a practice match – Oh! And a peach soda for me please."

" _Irosuzuka_ , let's go?"

Distracted by the pair at the side of the gym, she didn't notice that the vice-captain was already inside the gym, and was holding out the door for her.

"Ah, sorry, I just got curious about that ghost rumor", she sheepishly entered the gym, then thanked him.

"I wonder if that ghost is interested in being the sixth man."

.

.

.

"Eh? Pardon me, but was that a joke?"

No response.

She just stood at her spot, as he silently walked towards the locker rooms.

She swore she had seen a faint smile on his face when he had uttered what she believed to be a joke, and this time, she was sure that he had heard her question.

* * *

"The ghost was indeed interested."

"Excuse me?"

Tsumiko seriously needed some context right now.

A week has passed since the usually serious Akashi cracked a joke _(she's still convinced it was a joke, albeit a rather unfunny one_ _– but he didn't need to know that)_. Moreover, she was just starting to be more comfortable around him again, after assuring herself that Mizuki's theory was foolish – despite the fact that Nijimura was still acting a little distant. Lastly, they were currently playing shogi, so her head was beginning to hurt.

"I found a potential sixth man. I had already informed the captain and Coach Sanada about it earlier. However, we still need to wait for three months to see results."

With her mind having a hard time following, she requested for a clarification, "By ghost, do you mean the _ghost_ of the third-string gym?"

"Indeed. I, along with Midorima and Murasakibara, happened to meet him yesterday. Apparently, he's a third-string member and he was merely practicing beyond club hours. According to Aomine, he had met him last week, and started practicing with him."

It was still her turn, and she surveyed the shogi board, as she made sense of what he just informed her, "Maybe that's why Momoi-chan mentioned that Aomine-san appeared to be more lively lately, saying that he had met someone who loves basketball a lot, as well."

Since she couldn't find the right move, she decided to concentrate on the conversation first, "Wait, if he's a third-string member, then I might know him."

"Certainly. He's hardworking but strangely, it doesn't show in his skills. What's even more peculiar and interesting about him is his minimal presence or should I say, the lack thereof."

At every description, she could gradually feel her aching mind get blown away. Simultaneously, with the help of her last working brain cells, she saw his face grow more amused by the second, especially when he ultimately dropped the _ghost's_ name.

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **The team finally met Kuroko! Tsumiko also finally "gained" Kise's _'-cchi'_! (lol)**

 **But, what do you think is up with our captain? Do you agree with Mizuki's theory? Or do you have any theories? I'd like to hear them~**

 **Anyway!**

 **As a celebration for this fic's one year anniversary, I'll be writing some fluff drabbles for the _Top Three_ most requested characters among the GOM, Nijimura, Momoi, and Kagami. Yay!**

 **Please visit my profile to view the poll. The cut-off for votes will be on _December 15, 2019 - 11:59 PM JST [Japan Standard Time]_ ('coz knb is set in Japan lol), so go ahead and vote for your faves. Thanks :)**


	19. 真: Chapter 18

**A/N:**

 **Hey ya'll! How are you? A lot of stuff is happening this 2020 and it's only January omg :( Anyway, hope you're all doing fine and thank you for all the faves and follows!**

 **To _AliceRuiLin_ , yay your wish has been granted (lol) :) if you still haven't read the third chapter of _Confetti_ , go ahead and check it out~**

 **This chapter took me so long to finish because there are developments going on ;) and I would gladly hear out (technically, 'read' lol) y** **our thoughts on this chapter :)**

* * *

When autumn begins, one already anticipates the conversion of the green leaves of plants to spectacular shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. There are, however, bright blooms of a plant that come even before tress turn colors. These yellow-orange flowers are small and often overshadowed by the great autumn foliage. Small as they are, though, they emit a fragrance that is strong and sweet, something not easy to miss and usually denotes the start of fall in Japan.

 _Osmanthus_ is what the plant's called.

* * *

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

It took a few moments for Tsumiko to recover, followed by her informing Akashi that Kuroko was the same person she told him about during the camp. It took an additional number of minutes for her to process the vice-captain's explanation of Kuroko's qualification as the sixth man.

Her mind was now jumbled. Aside from her duties as a student and a coach, she has also been preparing for the _Ikebana_ she was going to perform this Saturday at the birthday party of Kobayashi Corporation's Chairman. Besides, she still need to place the _shogi_ piece – she's been holding for some time now – in the best position her current state of mind could come up with.

"Akashi-san, I'm not sure how to put this, but don't you think it's a little rude to use Kuroko-san's lack of presence?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it, Irosuzuka."

Sensing innocence in his tone, she tried to spell out her point more, "But using someone's um, _weakness_...isn't it slapping his weakness to his face?"

He briefly glanced at her from the shogi board, "That's not my intention. On the contrary, I'm helping him. Moreover, the fact that you think of it as his weakness is actually a fault in your part", before capturing the piece she just placed, with his knight.

"Pardon?"

"I apologize if that came out a bit strong. Let me re-phrase. Your line of thinking is understandable, because it is true that, at first glance, his lack of presence is his weakness. However, this weakness, when handled properly, has a lot of potential to be an asset."

"Asset?"

"The lack of enough sunlight during the colder seasons, such as fall, affects many deciduous plants, in a way that their leaves adapt. Because of the variety of pigments present in leaves, the typical green color of leaves transform into red, orange, yellow and such. Humans perceive these colors as beautiful, making the autumn season marketable to tourists, and therefore, profitable for businesses and for a state's economy."

Still deciding on her next move, she was so glad he had paused, because she couldn't really digest his mini-lecture about leaves and colors. He was most likely aware of this, so he gave her a chance to make her move (oh no, she probably looked like a fool right now), and when she did, he resumed.

"The point is, as a coach, you should know how to look into the positive side of things, Irosuzuka. In fact, I am certain that you've been already doing something similar."

"What do you mean?"

She knew she was asking too many questions right now. Actually, this was probably the reason why her _shogi_ opponent didn't do anything yet, even if it was already his turn. Instead, he focused her gaze on her.

"The training regimens you formulate for us first-years are made to improve our skills, right?"

"Of course."

"And these training regimens are based on what you believe to be our strengths and weaknesses. Although you do design exercises that work on our weaknesses, you still largely focus on _strengthening_ our strengths even more, am I not correct?"

"You're right", the young coach replied, while recalling what she had learned from the senior coaches and from the past games, "I do put much importance in enhancing your strengths because I believe that your strengths will soon surpass any of your weaknesses."

"Well then, we ultimately have the same goal. The only difference is that instead of capitalizing on what you could instantly recognize as strengths, I'm only capitalizing on what you consider as his weakness to transform this weakness into his strength or asset. His own weakness will surpass itself and soon turn into his greatest strength."

She wasn't sure if it was because of her being stunned by his words, but her own eyes caught a strange glint in his eyes. It's almost as if she had seen the colors of autumn in his eyes.

But as fast as it appeared, it disappeared, when he gave her a concerned expression, as he gently spoke her name, "Irosuzuka, I suggest you consider my way of thinking as an additional method or option, while you create training menus and devise strategies. Using our weaknesses is not necessarily being 'rude', as you say, especially if this will benefit us and the team in the long-run. You need to be a little tougher, now that you're a coach. Also..."

Despite hearing the door open, she followed his fingers that maneuvered the _shogi_ board, " _Ote_."

A voice significantly lower than Akashi's (and definitely not common for middle-schooler), was soon heard, "I just went to the restroom, and you already lost?", followed by a pink Hello Kitty fan being directed to her face, "What a shame, Pisces is even ranked higher than Sagittarius today."

* * *

" _Osmanthus_ or tea olive is known to be a symbol of nobility...", Tsumiko repeated the script she had memorized once again. Her grandmother, who was still in Kyoto and unable to attend the party, had advised her to use these flowers and had assisted her in creating the script for her _Ikebana_ performance.

Dressed in a light blue _kimono_ with a faded pink _obi_ , she fumbled with her brown _obijime_ , while she waited at the wings of the small stage for the master of ceremonies to introduce her. Among the bunch of kids to perform, she was the first. When she learned about this earlier from the organizer, her brain had somehow broke down and she only managed to catch something about her opening the stage, which was now decorated by two huge _ikebanas_ of wood and tree branches her grandmother had sent as gifts.

"Being too tense would not be of any help, Irosuzuka."

The dangling _kanzashi_ on her hair bun tinkled as she turned towards her left, and there Akashi Seijuuro stood in an all black suit and a glitter silk tie, with no trace of anxiety in the way he loosely held his violin and bow.

"Akashi-san, don't you ever get nervous?"

The boy chuckled a bit before answering, "Nervousness and anxiety are absolutely natural for humans, so yes, I sometimes do. However, with enough practice, I am certain that I won't commit any mistakes, and thus, I gain more confidence."

She simply blinked at him, as if taking in something she – a mere mortal – was not capable of, but when she heard the emcee say ' _ikebana'_ , her eyes briefly went wide. Using both of her hands, she clutched the other's hand that was holding the violin bow, "Please give me some of that confidence."

"I believe there is no scientific evidence about that. Although if it is energy you desire, then that is more logical, since your hands are cold and heat could be transferred."

With her eyes shut, his words were drowned-out by her own quiet prayers, and the emcee's introduction. At the mention of her grandmother's name, she opened her eyes and met his curious ones.

"Support transfer complete."

"Support?"

Hearing her name, she softly smiled and gave his hand one last squeeze before letting go, "A friend's support... Thank you."

The _kanzashi_ on her head jingled, as she turned around and walked to the table – that had a vase of stems and _Osmanthus_ flowers, and other _ikebana_ materials, and was being carried by two men – at the center of the stage. As sounds of people clapping could be heard, the stage was slowly being filled with the scent of _Osmanthus_.

* * *

Nijimura Shuuzo felt stupid – if stupid was the right word to describe his mouth dropping and his gaze never leaving the person on the stage, who just finished arranging stems and flowers.

 _Awestruck_ was probably the correct term, but _stupid_ was better, he decided, because how could he not expect to see her here?

Oh right.

Its's his first time attending since her sister – who was present in the previous parties – was taking care of their sick brother at home. But, most importantly, his father told him that this was merely a party by the company for the birthday of their big boss.

Company party, his _ass_.

Still, he should've known. His father was the head engineer of Japan's leading construction company, so _duh_ , this party housed the fellow wealthy. To further confirm this, a familiar redhead stepped onto the platform and started playing the violin, like the sophisticated and rich brat he was.

"Ah Shuuzo, you should've joined both of your _kouhais_ at stage."

Annoyed at his father for not informing him on purpose, he snapped, "Shut it, old man."

Around the time most people were finished with their dinner, people started rising from their seats and greeting other guests, until the large ballroom turned into a mass of standing people chatting and socializing. He had no choice but to do the same. So far, his father's colleagues – mostly the female ones – gushed at him; and some fancy moms presented their daughters, who were usually older than him. His old man also had been dragged by the birthday celebrant to meet former and potential clients. Worse, Irosuzuka Yuuta was now approaching him for the second time that night.

"Nijimura~"

He scowled at him, "The hell you're doing here again – ", but after spotting a shorter male behind his former captain, he playfully grinned, "Ah, to what do I owe the pleasure, Akashi-sama?"

The Akashi heir didn't take any offense and slightly lifted the corners of his mouth, "Good evening too, Nijimura-san. My apologies for not being able to greet you sooner. I had to go and pay my respects to plenty of people, including your father and – "

"Yeah, yeah. Stop the damn formalities, brat. I've heard _and_ even fucking said a lot of those tonight, I'm already losing my shit", he grumbled.

"Nijimura, how crude. Is this how a captain should treat his teammates?", the older raven-head had his arms crossed, but it was obvious that the bastard was enjoying this a bit too much.

He rolled his eyes at his senior, "He's the vice-captain, he can handle crap", then smirked, "and I just learned from the fucking _best,_ _captain~_ "

Yuuta was beaming at him, "Aww, Kanagawa's not that far from Tokyo, you can always visit if you _miss_ me that much. Anyway, I have to leave you and Seijuuro. I still need to meet some people", but Nijimura knew better than to trust that face, and boy was he right.

"Oh and Nijimura? Can you be a good _kouhai_ and do me a favor? I think my sister needs some company."

He followed the direction Yuuta had gestured towards before he left, and said sister was seated alone in a table, causing him to frown, "Leaving his sister like that, what a bastard."

She was easy to spot given her snow-like hair, which was still up in a bun and with the _kanzashi_ now replaced by a black ribbon. When a woman with the same snow-like locks – ah, her mother, he remembered – approached her, she stood up from her seat. Wearing a cream floral lace dress that hung jest below her knees, she walked alongside her mother, until a possibly mother-son duo greeted them. The two mothers introduced their children to each other, before heading towards a table of adult females. Irosuzuka was left standing and talking to the tall boy.

Nijimura scoffed.

He was definitely taller than the kid, who was likely just between Haizaki's and Akashi's heights. With this thought, he instantly faced the boy beside him, only to see ruby orbs already staring at him.

"Oi Akashi, aren't you bothered? You should go."

"Aren't _you_ bothered?"

The question was the same and started from his own mouth, but for some reason, he couldn't respond. He quickly felt irritation seeping in, "Your _senpai_ asked you first."

The younger out of them both remained stoic despite the older's frown deepening, "I'm positive that he wouldn't do anything to harm Irosuzuka, and if you have paid attention at the program earlier, you would recognize him as one of Chairman Kobayashi's grandchildren, who is as old as you."

At the first-year's suggestion, a vein eventually popped, "Don't sass me, brat. I paid attention, but I don't care enough to memorize their faces and names. Just answer a yes or a no."

The shorter boy even dared to sigh before going on, "If you are asking me if I am concerned about the possible connection that could develop between the two of them tonight, then my answer is, no, I'm not", with his expression getting more amused by the second. He then smoothly took his leave, "Enjoy the rest of the night, Nijimura-san."

Akashi, the little shit.

He could've flicked his smartass _kouhai's_ forehead multiple times, if not for the fact that this hotel was owned by the Akashi group – another thing that his old man failed to tell him, and he only learned about it when the host blabbered about the Akashi group after it's heir's performance.

 _And_ if not for the fact that hearing such response weirdly felt like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

Ah, fuck it.

"Yo, Irosuzuka!", he waved at her, while approaching her – well, them, technically.

The name felt foreign on his tongue. _Huh_ , he doesn't really recall a time he had addressed her that before. Maybe once or twice, but it was either 'brat', 'first-year', 'coach', or just nothing at all. He called her brother with 'captain', 'bastard', and on bad days – _well_ other profanities that shouldn't be mentioned.

"Nijimura-senpai?"

He ignored her surprised and puzzled look and acknowledged the _heh_ , shorter boy, "Ah, Kobayashi-san."

"It's Mitsui. My mother's Kobayashi."

"Oh."

 _Oops_.

He didn't know that. Heck, Akashi was damn right about him not really listening when the family of his dad's boss was introduced to all the guests during the program. Getting more pissed, he almost blurted out, ' _I don't really care_ ' , except he didn't want his dad to lose his job. Thus, he settled with, "Nijimura Shuuzo, second-year at Teikou"

"You must be Engr. Nijimura's son. You're the captain of the _baseball_ team, right?", the grandson replied, while saying 'baseball' in perfect English, because _hey_ , he's rich so why not. Yeah screw him and his English if he couldn't even differentiate the two sports.

" _Basketball_ ", he corrected, in a natural Japanese accent, but hey, at least he got it right. The guy then started spouting that he 'probably misheard it because of the thick accent', and with a strained grin and with only an ounce of patience left, Nijimura cut him off, "Nah it's fine. Anyway, Irosuzuka here, is one of our coaches."

Without giving the other time to react at that information, he went on, "and our head coach just called, so I need to talk to her, if you don't mind, Mitsui-san."

Mitsui, thankfully, excused himself and left. Opal eyes bore into his steel ones, with doubt evident in the former, urging him to explain.

"Your brother asked me to accompany you."

She shook her head, "That Yuuta-nii, seriously."

And that was it.

Great, now he didn't know what to say. The last time he had a decent conversation with her alone was during the camp. Ever since school resumed, he only spoke few words with her at practice and let Akashi attend the council meeting, because he didn't want to get in their way or something. But, it seems like he was under the wrong impression, based from the scarlet-haired boy's answer. As these thoughts messed with his mind, he felt warm and stuffy, that he suddenly blurted out,

"Wanna go out?"

.

.

.

 _Shit_.

Wow, good job in making things more awkward, _genius_.

"Like to the lobby. Can't breathe in this place", he saved.

Just as they finally got outside of the ballroom – _ugh_ , those guards just had to interrogate them before opening the doors – he loosened his sliver tie straight away and gave out a long groan, as he slumped on one of the lobby couches. Next to him, the girl sat upright, unlike him.

"By the way, I met your dad earlier. He's cool", he started.

Irosuzuka Hiroshi was kind and seemed to be a relatively chill guy, compared to the other stuck-up businessmen he had seen. He had called him 'sir' and he had felt so small despite being taller than him, but she didn't need to know that.

She sprung up her seat and looked as if she had just offended someone, as she tried to walk back to the event hall, "I should give my greetings to your father, as well."

He instinctively reached for her wrist, "Oi, you don't have to. He's busy. Besides, he already knows you", then released it, as soon as what he was doing registered in his mind. Damn it, he was being too self-conscious right now.

"But I haven't introduced myself formally yet, and I also need to get my coat."

Only when she crossed her arms did he realize that even if her dress was long-sleeved, the sleeves were lacy. He patted the space beside him, "Sit back here, I'll give you my coat", and took of his silver 'coat', leaving him with his silver pants, black dress shirt, and sloppy silver tie. When she settled down at his side, he draped mentioned coat over her shoulders.

She secured the coat around her and meekly thanked him, before her dark orbs twinkled teasingly, "and it's called a 'suit jacket', senpai."

At this display of playfulness from her, which he hasn't been able to witness the past weeks, he felt his own spirits being lifted. With raised brows, he leaned towards her and challenged her, "Okay, what else do you know, little miss _Ikebana_ master?"

She giggled at the nickname then hummed in contemplation. Afterwards, she uttered, "I do know few things about fashion, and I could say that you look great in your suit tonight."

Nijimura Shuuzo felt stupid – if stupid was the right term to describe his lips curving up at her words; and his dark eyes leaving hers only once for the rest of the night, when he returned the compliment, "You look pretty."

* * *

Akashi Seijuuro was confident with his plans, and seeing the captain and young coach being friendly once again at practice, his success was confirmed.

Although he was not the type to interfere with other people's romantic endeavors, he was striving to be the best in everything. To do this, he had to push his limits, practice, and test his strategic mind in different fields and situations, and what else was better than the ones he interact with in a daily basis. His subjects were two of his fellow members of the basketball club.

 _..._

" _A friend's support..."_

 _..._

Or maybe, 'friends' was a more appropriate term.

 _Perhaps_.

Regardless of what he thought of them, his objective, during the time when they were at the top of the hill last summer camp, was to give Nijimura a little push – not literally, of course. That was the extent of his plans. He was already contented with how delicious the fried rice the next morning tasted.

However, he didn't really expect to meet his classmate at the _engawa_ , more so to bump into the second-year on their way back to their rooms – giving rise to a frustrating misunderstanding. Having enough and wanting to focus on more crucial matters (the team was still lacking and in need of a sixth man), he decided to take responsibility for such unforeseen circumstances.

Therefore, when he saw the dark-haired teen at the party and saw a perfect opportunity, he made his move and cleared up everything, which now led to the current scenario in front of him. The atmosphere between the pair was now more relaxed than the past weeks.

...

" _Akashi-san, don't you ever get nervous?"_

...

He recalled the question she had asked that night when she fixed her gaze on his hands, which loosely held the violin and bow – clearly indicating the absence of tension in his mind and body.

He had already given her an answer that night, and he simply doesn't see any point for her nor anyone to be aware of the fact that when she had grasped his hand that night, his other hand wrapped itself tightly to the violin's neck.

* * *

It was now a memory that will remain overlooked, like the small _Osmanthus_ against the great autumn foliage.

The fragrance of _Osmanthus_ , however, lingers.


	20. 真: Chapter 19

**A/N:**

 **Hiiiii!**

 **To _lovelyhatter_ , thanks for all your kind reviews! Omg you don't know how happy I am. The past weeks were really stressful and reading your flattering comments (especially the characters being in character and their interactions with Tsumiko) just made me giddy (lol). I'm really glad that you are enjoying this story and WOW thank you for appreciating my writing skills! I'm now more inspired to write and be even better T_T**

 **To all the new faves and follows, welcome to this fic and thank you too! ;A; Hoping to hear more from you :) Here it is ~**

* * *

It amazed Tsumiko how Momoi shifted from an excited tone, as she shared her opinions after learning what happened during the party last Saturday, to a flat one – simultaneously as the young coach easily exchanged her school blazer to the basketball team jacket in the changing rooms – as she declared after being inquired about her mysterious crush, "I don't like him anymore, Iro-chan."

"What happened?", the shorter of the two asked after keeping her things at her locker.

"That's the thing. Nothing happened. I still don't know him."

' _Ah_ ', her mouth formed, as if she just heard some genius statement. It was only when they were inside the gym that she recalled something, "But I thought you believe that 'fate would let you meet again.' What if you actually meet him?"

The taller girl shrugged, "Then, I'll decide whether I like him or not after learning more about him. I realized I was really being shallow and stupid about the popsicle stick thing. Besides, liking someone or being in love is a hassle. You tend to stress about the little things and overthink", then bumped the other's shoulder, "No offense, though."

In response, Tsumiko pouted, "Ah, you're right. Both you and Mizuki-chan said that _he_ got jealous, whereas Chitose-chan said that I shouldn't get my hopes up. And I still haven't talked to Sena-chan."

Dark eyes roamed around the gym until they landed on her subject, who – with knit brows – was studying Coach Sanada's clipboard while the coach explained, "Mou, I should focus on practice now."

"See you tomorrow, Haizaki", a feminine voice said at the same time, causing the two girls to glance back at the entrance, and there stood mentioned boy and a tall girl – or maybe _lady_ was a better term given her well-endowed chest – whose raven head reached his nose and who was already letting go of his hand.

"Here's someone who seems to be successful in romance", Momoi commented, while they watched her walk away. Tsumiko, on the other hand, stayed silent, recalling where she had seen the familiar lady until she finally did, "Oh, the drama club's president?"

"Eh, really?"

Haizaki turned around only for his face go from pleased to shock to irritated, "The hell are you two lookin' at?"

Having remembered Chitose introducing the third-year to her one time she dropped by the drama club room, Tsumiko ignored his grimace, "Haizaki-san, could it be that you and Hashimoto-senpai are dating?"

When he raised one corner of his mouth smugly, pink and white irises lit up – causing him to move past them, while irritably saying that it's 'none of their business.' That would've been rude and arrogant, if not for the faint color on his cheeks. At the boy's apparent embarrassment, the two girls gushed and giggled.

In the end, he didn't really give them a clear answer, so Tsumiko, during homeroom period, asked her friend, who was in the drama club.

"Uh, yeah, just recently."

At Chitose's confirmation, widened dark orbs demanded details.

"Well, from what I was told, they met last May, Hashimoto-senpai was still together with her boyfriend from another school back then. Around June, they broke up." Brown orbs then fell to the notebook, as the owner repeatedly clicked on her mechanical pencil, "So, over the summer break, after you guys won the Nationals and your camp, he asked her out again, but she said that she needed time. I think she finally accepted last week."

Silver head slowly bobbed in understanding, watching her chestnut-haired classmate sketch possible designs for their classroom, which will be transformed into a movie house for the cultural festival in a few weeks.

"Are you finished gossiping? Can we now proceed with the agenda, Irosuzuka?"

With this deep voice, she turned to her right and she was reminded of the task of organizing the schedule of the selected movies, along with her bespectacled classmate. He was hovering his mechanical pencil over his own notebook, which was beside a cardboard cutout of a printed white fluffy cloud, with streaks and blotches of gray, which were obviously messily-colored by a gray crayon.

She was about to speak when the girl on her left beat her to it, "Midorima, I hope you won't tell people that you've learned those stuff from me. And did you color that cloud yourself?"

The boy huffed, "Nonsense, Chitose. I wasn't even interested to listen to whatever unnecessary things that you were talking about."

The girls shared a look. He _totally_ heard everything.

"Furthermore, no...my sister colored it", he resumed after some seconds of hesitation, and without missing a beat, he added – rather defensively, "She's a Capricorn, which is ranked first today."

Chitose's eyebrows raised at him, "You have a sister? How young?"

"She's four."

"Hmm, Capricorn really is first today, huh. Never thought that I would be lucky enough to see a day I hear about Midorima having a little sister and that Midorima _oniichan_ allowed his little sister to touch and _decorate_ his precious item."

This cheeky remark from her Capricorn classmate successfully got to the green-haired teen, and Tsumiko wasn't gonna deny that seeing both the cocky Haizaki and the proud Midorima being flustered within less than a day was adorably entertaining.

* * *

Occupied with the preparations, coupled with the continuous basketball training, three weeks had gone in a flash, and busy with their class' movie house, the first day of the festival swiftly came to an end. The second day of the festival focused more on the various clubs of the school. For the basketball club, they only sold basketball team merchandise. During the afternoon, Tsumiko excused herself to watch the afternoon show of the drama club's play, only to find out that Nijimura, Sekiguchi and Kubota, and some more second-years were going to watch, as well, due to Sekiguchi inviting them. Apparently, Sekiguchi's girlfriend is one of the leads in the play.

There were still plenty of seats left, when they had arrived at their school's theater. Spotting Mizuki, who was beside Kogure, Tsumiko took the seat on her other side. The sophomores occupied the seats behind them, whereas the blond-haired sophomore, headed straight to the backstage.

While the second-stringer, Kogure, chatted with the first-stringers, Mizuki whispered towards her, "That's a lot of dates you have there, Irosuzuka-chan", to which she countered with, "Except they're not my dates. You two are the ones on a date."

Un-bothered, the other flipped her black hair, "We just bumped into each other on the way here", but Tsumiko could see her friend twinkle, so she just playfully rolled her eyes, "Sure."

Just as the venue was being filled, Sekiguchi returned from the backstage, with a not-exactly-pleased mop of ash trailing behind him. Haizaki slumped next to his classmate, Kogure, while the second-years started teasing the former about his third-year girlfriend.

Hashimoto-senpai's role was the main antagonist, and Tsumiko could see how good she really was in acting. On the other hand, Chitose was primarily on the costume and props team, so whenever she pops up in the stage as part of the ensemble, Mizuki and Tsumiko couldn't help but cheer for their friend.

* * *

When the show ended, the young coach moved on to go back to the gym, along with the others, until a hand rested on her shoulder, "The others can handle it. I'm itchin' to play some table tennis for a change."

Once she faced the owner of the hand, a brochure met her sight. Written in it were the table tennis club's activities for the festival. They offered sets of challenges and the main one was that whoever defeats five table tennis regulars, will get a special prize in cash. It was a tempting offer, honestly – that is if you are certainly skilled in the said sports, which she, by the way, wasn't.

"Nijimura-senpai, how confident are you?"

He smirked, "Well, let's just say that their ace is an old pal of mine and I play table tennis with him from time to time."

She had trusted his words, and alas, she was so surprised and proud of him. He was truly good and experienced, to the point that the members were chummy with him – as if he was a fellow member. Although he defeated only two regulars, they still awarded him a consolation prize.

The sun was already setting when they were done with the games and finally gave him his reward. Everyone, then began packing up, and prepared for the night festivities.

On their way back to the gym, she just couldn't help herself be blown away at the teen next to her. His matches with the table tennis regulars drew in a lot of crowd, definitely making him even more known around the school. It was already an established fact that he was popular, being the adored captain of the largest club in Teikou. Moreover, among the school's sports teams, he was the youngest captain, with him being only in his second-year. Nonetheless, he was well-respected. Not to mention, his athletic built, good looks, boyish charm, and even his delinquent past gained him lots of fans. Due to the default pout on his face, though, she heard that only little of these so-called fans dared to let him know of their feelings. While she does admit being one of his admirers, she was proud to say that she had seen him do other expressions, aside from his signature frown, and one of these was the flattered (and probably even embarrassed) expression he had when she had complimented his get-up during the party. She must've been blessed by the gods of fortune or something, to witness something as cute as such.

This train of thoughts were immediately taken down as soon as they arrived at the gym. Inside, they saw some managers and few members counting the merchandises that were sold or not, and doing financial work. A little guilty because of leaving them for a few hours, the captain and young coach asked them to go ahead and volunteered to wrap things up.

After finishing up inventory checking and sales calculation, they put the rest of the items inside the storage room. That was when they heard the loud and excited screams of people outside and the sounds of fireworks.

"Ah, it's starting! The bonfire's probably lit already", she exclaimed.

"Shit." Nijimura swiftly locked the door of the storage room, and smoothly grabbed her hand, "Let's go!", before running towards the gym's exit.

Once they got outside of the gym, the older teen halted. She took this as a chance to catch her breath. Quite a distance from the gym, she saw the Teikou students huddled around a bonfire, noisily cheering while they watched the fireworks.

"Oh the view here's actually okay", her companion spoke, causing her to look at her left and see his head tilted up, making no intention to move from their spot nor to release her hand. Her gaze landed on their connection, and a blush began forming on her cheeks. Getting a little braver, she fixed her vision on his face and was thoroughly captivated by his striking side profile. The darkness of the night and the slight glow from the the fire and fireworks made his features appear soft and serene.

"Or do you wanna go closer?"

His voice almost made her heart explode.

She wasn't sure if he referred being closer to _him_ or the _bonfire_. Regardless of what he meant, she just mirrored him, by snapping her head up and enjoying the fireworks display, as she hummed a small 'it's fine.'

' _What is this?'_

She could still feel his hand on hers. His was slightly calloused, yet still soft, and it enveloped hers warmly. A small part of her was tempted to squeeze his, but a larger part of her was scared of what would happen after. He might squeeze back, but worst, he would let go of her, and everything would just be awkward. Not wanting to take a risk and shatter the glass crystallized between their interlocked hands, she kept her hold still.

' _What could this mean?'_

Despite having rested for a while after their sprint to reach here, her heart was still racing and she could hear her heart beat, seemingly as loud as the booming sounds of the pyrotechnics.

' _Is this the right time to confess?'_

Right now, they were isolated from the rest of the student body, the mood could be considered as romantic, given the scenery, and the heat being shared between their hands against the cold autumn breeze.

' _Should I?'_

But, there was a complete possibility that her feelings might be one-sided and he might be placed in an uncomfortable situation. He could reject her or worse, he might pretend not to hear her and act normal. Either way, as a young coach and him as a captain, they had to maintain professionalism to not compromise the team - and that would just be sad and difficult.

' _But, what if?'_

Then again, she didn't want to take chances and ruin this serenity that is this precious moment.

' _Maybe not.'_

Focusing on the pyrotechnic display, she took in the variety of colors and shapes, which were indeed spectacular. However, the fireworks that reflected in his dark orbs, she recalled, were even more astonishing. Thus, she slowly angled her head to get another glimpse of such scene.

Different colors brightened his dim irises.

' _Rainbow.'_

That rainbow, unfortunately, vanished when his dark ones reflected her own.

' _Oh no!'_

He caught her staring.

On impulse, she broke contact and looked up the sky, once more. A part of her wondered if her own eyes had reflected the fireworks, as well, and if they looked as beautiful as his were. A larger part of her, on the contrary, was afraid that she had just broken the glass.

It didn't.

From her periphery, it seemed like he did the same as her, with his head angled up to the sky again and with his hand remaining on hers – still and steady – and she could only hope that it is as if he treasured the thin glass, as well.

As if being careful, he softly muttered, "Such pretty fireworks."

 _..._

" _You look pretty."_

 _..._

His words from the party echoed in her mind.

' _Did he really mean the fireworks? Or was he being indirect?'_

Before any more ideas come to her and before she could even crack this crystal-like moment, the sky got dark again, signifying the end of the display. Not long after, her hand met the chilly air, whereas his hand found the comforts of his pocket. Curling her hand into a ball, she walked beside him towards the bonfire.

 _Ugh_. She's probably overthinking again.

* * *

To further confirm her overthinking, during the following week, he acted just like how he normally does during practice. Feeling silly, she didn't even dare tell her friends about it. Instead, she filed the memory in her brain for possible future use, and decided to focus on matters on hand.

Indeed, nothing has changed during practice, except for Haizaki skipping an afternoon practice and being late for two consecutive days. She asked Chitose about it, and that's how she learned that Hashimoto-senpai broke up with Haizaki days after the festival. Sadly, they didn't even last for a month. The next day, she had asked him about it after morning practice, but he shrugged her off and was absent during the afternoon session. She was so concerned and bothered, therefore, when practice ended, she consulted the person who could probably understand Haizaki the most among the team – the former rebel turned captain.

"Maybe, that moron got heartbroken or something. I'll make sure he gets over it soon and welcome him to hell once he comes back. You worry too much."

In spite of chuckling at him, she still had trusted him with those words.

So, how did things end up like this?

Just a few minutes after he had assured her, they happen to find the subject of their conversation at a children's playground few blocks away from Teikou, caught up in a fight with three boys wearing a different uniform, which led to the current scenery before her lens.

A disheveled Haizaki was sitting and leaning against a slide's stairs and catching his breath. Nijimura's gentle and relaxed face from the night of the festival – that was etched into her mind – had turned into a kind that was deadlier than his usual scowl, as two punks lunge at him.

It has only been around a week after the festival, and she had already learned two more things about the subject of her affections.

First, was him being skilled in fighting and him being trained in what she recognized as Karate – as demonstrated by how he had thrown a punch at a teen, and had blocked a kick from another teen and countered with a roundhouse kick, effectively sending both teens respectively on the ground.

Second was a new expression on his face, she couldn't really decipher – something like a mixture of shock, anger, worry, and fear. It was directed to her, when a voice cracked near her ears, crying out, "Don't move or I'mma cut this little girl!", while a cold sharp tip of metal touched her neck.


	21. 真: Chapter 20

"Don't move or I'mma cut this little girl!"

Ah.

 _Little girl_.

That reminded her of the nationals in summer. Haranishi Junior High's head coach had mocked Teikou and called her a 'little girl'. While it was technically true, he had said it with such malice that made it clearly an insult.

But that time when Teikou was against Haranishi during the final game, there was one person, who had turned the term 'little girl' into some form of pride.

...

" _Thank you, Haizaki-san."_

" _Ugh, just get your pathetic ass_ _outta my sight."_

 _As soon as she turned around, he muttered something under his breath, but Tsumiko was sure of what she heard and it made her eyes go wide._

" _ **Stop being a little girl and be**_ _ **that**_ _ **fucking little girl.**_ _ **"**_

...

And now, that very person was crouching down – uniform's a mess, but he was staring intensely at her, as if he was relying a message. When she stared back at him, he very slightly gestured his head towards his left. Mirroring him, she realized that she was just being held on the shoulder by the teen behind her. Looking back at Haizaki, she saw him glance down on the stony ground, where his hand was holding something.

' _Stones'_ , she guessed, but didn't move.

Silver eyes were now glaring at her, as Haizaki was becoming more impatient and frustrated at her. She had an idea of what he wanted her to do, but the tip of the knife was cold against her neck, and the tips of her fingers were turning cold, too – just like during the national finals. Recalling the ash-head's words, she inhaled deeply, before stomping on the teen's foot and shrugging her shoulders away from his hold. As she did that, a stone flew past her and a yelp of pain and clanking of metal on the ground were heard. Without looking back, she ran towards her teammates, and a pair of strong arms caught her immediately. It happened so fast that she didn't even realize that Nijimura had already placed her next to Haizaki, who threw another stone at the other's chest. The second-year kicked the knife towards them, then kicked the shin of the knife's owner, causing the latter to keel over and fall to the ground.

The Teikou freshmen couldn't clearly see their upperclassman's face, but he must've had such a scary expression that made all three boys kneel and bow their heads, apologizing and begging for their newfound _'Aniki's'_ mercy.

"Not to me, you fuckers! And I'm not your _aniki_!"

Abruptly, the trio bowed at her direction,"We're sorry, _anego_!"

' _Anego_?', she wondered. They looked like first-years to her, so they might be calling her the way gangsters do, right?

"She's not your _anego_ , either, damn it!"

They then frowned at the boy beside her, "It's just that we didn't like the way that jerk looked at us earlier."

Smugly, mentioned jerk spat, "You're all fucking annoying. Your uniform sucks. Your school sucks. Ya'll su – ", before being silenced by a rock flung next to his face.

"I won't miss next time", the only person, who was still standing, warned. Comically, all students on the ground (including the only girl) obediently nodded.

Afterwards, the raven-head focused back to the group of boys and called them by their school, "Oi, Komagi."

With this, she recalled something Chitose told her. Glancing at the male on her right – who was gathering his bag, so that he's ready to flee, just in time their captain finished scolding the Komagi schoolboys – she figured a possible (and petty) reason why this fight started.

"Could it be you got annoyed at them because they reminded you of Hashimoto-senpai's ex-boyfriend, who also goes to Komagi?"

Though she felt a little bad for bringing that up, she couldn't help but be amused at the other's shocked face. Embarrassed and mostly irritated, he dashed away, without forgetting to flip the finger at her.

"Got it?", she heard the stern tone of the captain, as she watched the back of a certain Teikou uniform-clad youngster get smaller and smaller by the second.

"Y-yes! We're really sorry, _aniki_!"

"Don't fucking call me that! Now scram, you little shits!"

 _Oh_ , her crush would definitely not like the troublemaker escaping, but Tsumiko wanted to help her fellow first-year this time, so she didn't bother calling him back.

* * *

The following day, Haizaki attended practice again, though, he still seemed upset – and in Haizaki Shougo language, that meant he sulked and glared at the young coach and the captain even more, like a petty child threatening them not to tell anyone of what happened yesterday. True enough, they didn't tell anybody about it, and practice went on normally, except for the additional forehead flicks Haizaki received from the still-pissed _senpai_.

Witnessing the dynamics of the two oddly similar guys brought some warmth in her – and coupled with her wishing to return back the favor to the one, who believed in the _little girl_ in her – led her in front of the Haizaki's residence at a Saturday.

The older boy beside her, decorated with his usual scowl, pointed at the box of cake on her hands, "So into this, huh?"

"W-well, it's his birthday after all."

Nijimura, despite sounding like he didn't want to be there, softened his gaze a little, "How much should I pay?"

"Eh? You don't have to."

"No matter how rich your family is, I know that came from your own pocket", he stated, while extending his arm to ring the doorbell. Before he could even do that, however, a door was opened then banged, followed by two voices, "Shougo!" "Shou-chan!"

They heard hurried steps, which was followed by the gate being roughly opened, revealing said 'Shougo/Shou-chan', whose expression went from angry and tear-stricken to surprised, when he noticed his unexpected guests.

Tsumiko – whose arm was secured around Nijimura's hand, when he instinctively pulled her away from the gate – opened her mouth to speak, when Haizaki wordlessly sprinted away.

The gate swung open again, "Shougo!", but this time it revealed a male teenager, who has the same gray strands as the birthday celebrant, but only shorter.

Pausing to scan the very familiar strangers standing near the entrance, he titled his head, "Uh, aren't you guys..."

"Shi-chan! Why'd you stop?"

Appearing behind the older and taller version of 'Shougo' was a beautiful adult woman with ash locks secured in a hair clamp, and with a gentle voice, "Oh my. Shougo's teammates?"

At the recognition, said teammates lowered their heads. The second-year instantly spoke, "I'm the captain, Nijimura Shuuzo. I could go after your son, and bring him back."

When the gray-haired folks didn't really show any signs that they disagree with his proposition, he turned towards his companion and squeezed her shoulders, "Sorry, I'll be back", to which she simply nodded in response. Bowing one last time at the Haizakis, he proceeded to run.

Left behind, the snow-haired girl introduced herself, "Good afternoon. My name is Irosuzuka Tsumiko, a first-year and a coach", before explaining, "I apologize, in behalf of Nijimura-senpai, for our sudden appearance. We simply wanted to wish your son a happy birthday."

In spite of the female grown-up's watery eyes, she still managed to let out a smile, "That's so sweet of you, and I'm really sorry. I'm Shougo's mom and you can call me Saya. Why don't we wait inside, okay?"

Not giving her a chance to politely accept, a masculine voice was directed at her, "Let me carry that."

Subsequently, she felt the weight of the cake vanish from her hands, as the house owners led the way.

"Shigeru, by the way. That kid's older bro."

* * *

"My sons' father and I got divorced when Shigeki's in his third year of middle school and Shougo's still in fifth grade", Haizaki's mom started, but immediately paused. She glanced at the back of her eldest son, who was busy washing the dishes. Tsumiko could see her hesitation, as if she was hiding some information, that might not really be pleasing to hear. It was totally understandable, though, because it was not easy to discuss private matters, especially to a twelve-year old kid one just formally met. Thus, the girl waited patiently for the lady across her to continue, "Since then, he started hating his father and became rebellious."

The young girl could see the warmth in the mother's face, as thin lips curved up, "But when he started junior high, I noticed he was getting better. He made it to the basketball team and got good grades. He even told me he found himself a girlfriend."

The other's lips eventually fell, and Tsumiko slightly fidgeted in her seat – worried that she was stepping into something too personal.

"But this past week, he seemed to be down and he even came home with bruises one time. I got worried and I just wanted to make him happy, so I finally accepted the money his father had offered for Shougo's birthday gift."

 _Okay_ , that's enough.

"Um, pardon me for interrupting, but you really don't have to continue and tell me everything. You don't have to explain anything to me. I understand."

Saya shook her head and smiled again, "It's okay. I'm sorry for saying all of this, but since my idiot son's not really good at expressing himself, I felt that I should tell his friends even just a little bit about him."

"But – "

"Just let her talk. Letting friends know could help that difficult brother of mine. Trust me. I had firsthand experience with rebellious phases and shit."

What Shigeru declared from the kitchen made her even sad for this family, but it also made her listen to the rest of the story.

"Earlier, when I saw his peaceful sleeping face, however, I realized that he would not be truly glad if I lie to him. That's why I texted my ex-husband that I will return the money soon. Shougo later woke up energetically and lunch was great, until my phone rang. Shougo was quick to get my phone for me, and I saw how his face contorted, as he saw the caller ID. Before I could even stop him, he had already furiously answered, and that's how he knew. I already explained to him but he still stormed off."

These information was indeed hard to take in, but she was determined not to cry – definitely not when the woman before her was strong enough to share these things with her. Instead, she decided to turn the atmosphere to a more positive one, while they wait for the two teens' return. To do this, she told Saya stories about her youngest son in school, in trainings, and in matches – not forgetting that remarkable finals match.

* * *

Meanwhile, certain middle school boys were arguing at an empty park. The light-haired one struggled to set himself free from the dark-haired one, who's clutching the back of the former's shirt.

"Fuck off, Nijimura!"

"That's _senpai_ for you, moron."

"Don't care. Now, let go!"

"You're so mad you want to fight, right? I'm getting a little mad, too, so be ready brat."

With that said, Nijimura released him, and as predicted, the shorter of the two attacked. The former had dodged it and countered. In between kicks and punches, these two rebels managed to talk about their own family problems and somehow understand each other. Because that's how you have a heart-to-heart talk in both Haizaki and Nijimura language. There's no need for sappy shit. All they needed to do was use their fists and legs and throw curses at each other – with the occasional and actual sharing of their issues, when their emotions started getting to them even more.

As soon as their energy got drained, along with their angst, they leaned against a tree and caught their breaths.

The more experienced fighter, as shown by the lesser number of bruises, recovered first and stood up, "Have you let out enough steam now? Let's get you home. Don't worry your mom and brother even more."

Bending down, he ruffled the spiky, yet soft mop of ash, "You still have to blow your candles, birthday boy."

"Fuck you."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Yo _anikis_ and _anegos_! T** **hank you for the faves and follows!**

 **To the _guest_ , who reviewed, hello! Thanks for commenting! Sorry about leaving the last chapter hanging, but here's the continuation~ hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**

 **To everyone else, how was it? Hope you liked Niji's fighter side ;) and the** **appearance of** **the Haizaki fam! Personally, I really wanted to know more about Haizaki in canon ;A; but since we weren't given much, I made this part (lol).** **I just hope I did good in writing Haizaki!**

 **By the way, what are your thoughts on Haizaki, in general? I'm kinda curious, because so far, I see some people consider him only as a villain (which he was, of course, but I always thought that he was more than that or idk? lol) Anyway, to Haizaki fans out there, be proud ( _"be that fucking little *insert gender*"_ ) and let yourselves be known in the comments, because this is for you~ Yay!**


	22. 真: Chapter 21

**A/N:**

 **Hello!**

 **First off, I just wanna say, I love the Teikou kids ;A;**

 **And by that I mean, including Nijimura and Haizaki (lol). Thus, I dedicated the past two chapters and this one to them, who we sadly didn't get to see much in the anime/manga. But don't worry, the rest of the Teikou babies will soon come back!**

 **Next, how are you, my dear readers? As you know, the world is currently facing a pandemic :( Please, don't panic, tho! Just be alert. Do preventive measures and keep your bodies strong, everyone~**

 **Lastly, I hope that in this time of crisis, this story could cheer you all up a little :)**

* * *

"Oi, why won't ya confess to her?"

"Ha?"

 _Yup_ , Nijimura shouldn't have went easy on the boy walking beside him and popping a question randomly, while they were on their way back to the latter's home.

Said boy had bruises on his face – the new ones, courtesy of Nijimura – but he didn't seem to be concerned about gaining more bruises, as he chattered, "Oh c'mon, it's simple! No biggie! Ya don't have to do that anime or manga bullshit where they're like _'I like you'_ and _'Please go out with me'_ and shit, y'know."

Haizaki halted in his steps, causing him to follow suit. The former was seriously confusing him now. Who in the world was this kid talking about?

"Just say the usual.."

The captain perplexedly watched as his companion set a distant gaze forward, " ... _'Wanna go out?'_ ", then bounced excitedly at him, "or or!", before going back at his imaginary acting partner in front of him, " _'You. Me.'_ and just do this..", ultimately facing him again to wriggle his eyebrows suggestively at him.

There was a huge urge to shut the kid up by knocking him out, but there was also a part of him – his conscience – that tells him that maybe he had caused the kid brain damage and thus, the reason why the kid was too bubbly and even more vexing. Plus, it was already awkward to bring back a beaten-up son to his family, and admit that he had beaten him up. Therefore, it would be even too awkward to bring back an unconscious son back.

"Oh oh! This one's the bomb. You just say _'You're hot. I'm hot. Let's get it poppin'_ ha! Get it? A lil corny but dope!"

Speechless at such comical display from his _kouhai_ , he could only curse himself when his _kouhai_ dared to shoot a disapproving look at him, "Oh. _OH_. No way. Bruh. Don't fucking tell me you're waiting for her to confess first? "

"Ya want her to go.."

When the ash-head looked ahead again, the raven-head braced himself for another dumb demonstration.

"... _'Nijimura-senpai, please meet me after practice at the back of the gym'_ "

The idiot didn't even give him a chance to crack at the idiot's high-pitched voice, as the idiot continued with his idiotic impression.

"And then when you meet her there, it'll be sundown and shit, and she'll be like _'Senpai, I like you'_ , and then you'll be acting cool and say _'I like you too...'_ "

There was a dramatic pause, and Nijimura didn't even had the chance to be offended at the bastard's ridiculously deep voice (was that supposed to be him?), when the moron continued,

"' _...Tsumiko.'_ "

' _Tsumiko?!'_ , he repeated inside of his mind, because he couldn't just say her first name out loud like that – damn it! And was she the _her_ , he was referring to because –

What.

The.

Fuck.

"Fuckin' hells", Haizaki cringed, "Ugh, girls shouldn't always be the first ones to confess, bro. Man, that crap's boring. Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. _'The great, handsome, cool, and awesome Haizaki Shougo is also a genius?'_ Yeah suck that, loser, I'm not a dumbass."

.

.

.

"Wow."

That was what the second-year could utter. Compared to the first-year's ramblings, he had only breathed out two syllables so far. Who knew Haizaki Shougo could be this noisy? It was almost adorable. The _hell_.

"You talk too much. The range of nasty stuff coming out from your potty mouth is amazing, I'm not even mad."

Replaying the skit he, for whatever luck and reason, was made to witness, he couldn't help but be disturbingly amazed at the other's hidden talent and at how quick the other was in shifting his expressions and voice. _Again_ , what the hell.

"And you got so much energy like – what the fuck – you could be in the drama club for your imagination."

With a smug grin, his teammate slash rookie actor shrugged, "Well, if you're asking me to be _IN_ the drama club's president, then hell yeah, I already did – OW! You prick!", then paused to clutch the side of his ribs that were jabbed.

"That was just a joke! We only kissed, because _'Sorry, Haizaki. I'm not over my ex yet. This is wrong.'_ "

After his impersonation of Hashimoto-senpai, he kicked the ground, "Pfft, she can go back to that Komagi asshole for all I care. I got lots'a girls waiting on me." Probably catching himself onto how sulky he had sounded, he abruptly stomped his feet and raised his voice at the the older one, "Anyway, just tell _her_ , stupid!"

While he was irritated at his underclassman's disrespect, he was still trying to convince himself that maybe he just heard the name wrong and that ' _her_ ' wasn't really the girl he was with earlier. Hence, instead of kicking the small forward's shin, the power forward opted to hiss, "The fuck you talking about."

Silver orbs rolled at him, " _Duh_. Miss little whitey coach. Tiny-san. _Tsu-mi-ko_ ~"

 _Fuck_.

He didn't hear wrong.

"Sheesh, alright dude. Irosuzuka. There. Happy now?", Haizaki corrected, after protecting his sides from the hands of the glaring demon beside him. Unfortunately, he couldn't cover his shin from the legs of the demon.

Even if in pain, a snort could be heard coming from his teammate. Because of this, Nijimura swore that he, himself, just dug his own fucking grave.

 _Well, fuck._

"Holy shit. You really do like her."

"I don't."

The freshman, with full confidence, ignored him, "Heh, pretty sure she likes you too. Trust me, I got a lot of chicks around me. Fuckin' call me _senpai_ , Nijimura~"

"Shut your shitty mouth."

"Whaaat? Ya wanna be professional and shit?"

"I swear – "

"Man, chill. We're still kids, we can kiss and fuck who we want, nobody cares."

"Haizaki!"

"Stop being an _asshole_ , and be a _dick_."

And that last comment earned him a punch.

"Bitch that hurt!"

Wordlessly, and with multiple veins popped out of his head, Nijimura readied his right fist to strike again.

"Wait, wait!", the light-haired teen raised his hands in surrender, "I just wanna know what the hell's holding you back, dammit!"

Hauling his junior by the collar, the senior dangerously hummed, "Listen here, you brat. If you're not gonna stop talking about crap, I will not fucking hold back in my next punch. Understood?"

"O-okay, fine."

He released his grip off the shorter teen, thinking that the crass kid actually cared about himself and still valued his life.

" _Wuss_."

Or, maybe not.

"Oi!", the boorish lad held his freshly-smacked head, before glaring at the taller teen, "I'll tell my mom about you!"

"Oh, I'll tell her myself, you little shit."

Mentioned little shit challenged back, "Oh yeah? Then I'll tell Tsumik– _ah_ , ah, ack!", until his left ear started burning from the pinch. "Yeah, yeah, okay, sorry, sorry. I won't, I swear! Ah! Ouch! Pleaseee~ Captain! Senpai! Anikiiiii?!"

The captain let go of the poor ear, and smirked at its owner, who was cursing like a sailor.

But this satisfaction didn't last long.

The middle-schooler with more bruises met Nijimura's dark eyes, with his own twinkling ones – as if the bruises and the pain in his ear were nothing and that he had, ultimately, won the battle.

A sly grin formed on the brat's face.

.

.

.

"God, you fucking like her!"

And he sprinted away, while laughing like a maniac.

* * *

In the end, the two middle-school students reached the front door of the Haizaki household, with the uninvited guest trailing behind its resident, ready to teach the latter a lesson. The _kouhai's_ older brother, however, beat the _senpai_ to it.

Shigeru flicked his younger brother's forehead, "Idiots." Following this was a noogie on the top of his sibling's hard head.

"Shigeru, you fucker!"

"Who do ya think ya talkin' to, ha, punk?", the oldest among the three grinded his knuckles even deeper at his kin's skull, causing its owner to whimper.

"Ah-a- _aniki_."

Nijimura was about to snicker at the punk, who was once again grumblingly clutching his head, when he met the hardened gaze of the so-called _aniki_. Inhaling, he was beginning to be a little worried for his own skull's well-being. A pat on his shoulder was all he got, though.

"I'll leave your forehead to your sister."

At his raised brows, the slightly taller teen replied to his unspoken question, "Nijimura Rui is your sister, right? She's a classmate."

In response, he could only nod and bow at the third-year high school student.

"What?! Is she the chick you're talking about?"

Shigeru pinched the bridge of his nose, "No, Shougo. My girlfriend is Sora. She's two years younger than me, remember? I told you this before, dumbass."

Shougo was about to retort, when the same adult woman came out of the door and urgently wrapped her arms around him, "Shougo!"

Appearing behind the woman was no one but, ' _her_.'

Opal eyes met his steel ones, and he saw them worriedly roam around the very small amount of bruises he had.

Both their attentions were brought back to the mother-and-child duo, as athletic arms gently patted the small back, "H-hey, it's okay. I'm sorry, okay? I'm cool now. Just stop...it's embarrassing!"

Over her son's shoulders, Saya beamed at Nijimura, "I apologize for my foolish son, Nijimura-kun. Don't hesitate punishing him, captain."

"Ma?!"

Despite this outburst, the now-thirteen-year-old didn't move away from the hug.

The fourteen-year-old, on the other hand, pushed away his memories of a lady currently in the States, and politely returned the smile of the mother across him.

"The second-string has a practice match against Komagi Junior High next Friday. I'd let the rest of the coaches know that Haizaki will be assisting them."

Such statement made the first-stringer break away from his parent and pointed at their team's leader, "Oi! But I just joined the second-string jerks during their last practice match! Goddam– "

"Hush, Shou-chan." With a finger placed on her youngest's lips, she resumed,"Shi-chan's gonna buy Fuji apples, so be a good host. Go and wait with Nijimura-kun and Irosuzuka-chan inside. I'll get the first aid kit", leading to the synchronized groans of the siblings at their nicknames.

* * *

If he only knew that things would end up like this, he wouldn't have volunteered to chase after Haizaki hours ago – heck, he would've even done everything to convince their young coach to not visit Haizaki during this second of November.

It's been some time since he had fight injuries, yes. But he was still used to it, like some kind of muscle memory, so having some minor ones today didn't bother him that much.

That was until now.

"Um, please do tell if it hurts, _senpai_."

Parallel to the dining table, he hummed at the girl seated on the chair next to his.

Moments prior to this, the injured guys protested, saying that they can do the treating themselves. Unluckily, the boss of the house had the authority to shut them both down. Moreover, she babbled about how it would be useful for a coach to know basic first-aid.

Using a cotton bud soaked with water, the first-year coach softly cleaned the single tiny cut near his left eyebrow. Her brows were slightly knit, showing how focused she was.

 _Shit_.

Fighting the urge to lift the corners of his lips at the cuteness, he made himself annoyed by glancing at the other person getting treatment across the table. When he saw the brat already looking at him and was teasingly gagging at him, he got what he had hoped for and got really irritated.

"I think it's clean enough", the white-haired lass muttered, before tilting her head at the antiseptic on the table. Sensing her internal debate, Nijimura took a cotton swab and showed her how much antiseptic was needed, to which she 'ooh-ed' in understanding.

Afterwards, her fingers were cold as they graced his to take the cotton bud with antiseptic from him. Once the tip met his grazed skin, he didn't even wince.

"You're used to this", she concluded.

He mentally winced.

Somehow, he believed that while her words meant that she wanted to know more, her tone proved that she respected him enough to not pry any further.

"I had a rough phase. But that's in the past."

She pulled back, looking contented at her work and seemingly at his answer, as well.

Placing the band-aid, she appeared to be more relaxed, probably because she knew how band-aids work. Seeing such expression and comparing it from the one she had during that moment a knife was poking at her neck, made his blood boil again. Thankfully, the ice-pack she was now holding against a bruise helped him cool down.

Settling on her lenses, he remembered the night of the festival. He was confused as to why her gaze was fixed on him, that time. All things were forgotten, however, once she turned towards the sky and in consequence, he saw fireworks in her eyes.

It was colorful. It was pretty.

She was pretty.

 _Damn it_.

He recalled looking up the fireworks, as soon as he had such thought. Mind blank, he didn't do anything afterwards, except allowing himself to hold her small and soft hand, but only until the display ended.

And _maybe_ , just maybe, he actually did hold b–

"Ack!", Haizaki flinched, "Ma, that hurts!"

Blinking, he realized that Tsumiko had gotten a little closer. Instinctively (like any other pubescent male would do in such situation – he justified) , he gripped the hem of his shirt.

Dark irises briefly glossed over his, and he tried to distract himself with Shougo and Saya's squabbles, and tried to not mind how he liked the feel of her fingertips on his jaw, as Tsumiko moved the ice-pack to another and last bruise.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went like this. Shigeru returned, and all five of them relished the refreshing Fuji apples. The cake, that the unexpected visitors had given, was then served – the mom not forgetting to persuade the birthday celebrant to blow his candles. The guests, who were suddenly invited for the rest of the celebration, insisted not to stay for dinner, because they had to go home, as well. More importantly, the two shared the same concern that they had already weirdly trespassed enough into private space. Thus, they simply wanted to respect the Haizaki's family time.

By the time Nijimura arrived at his own house, the sun was setting, and his father hurriedly approached him from the living room.

"Shuuzo! What happened? Don't tell me– "

"No, dad. I didn't pick a fight with a gang. By the way, is Rui-nee home?"

Nijimura Ryotarou feigned disappointment, "Aww, I was already thinking about what hair color will suit you", before responding, "Rui texted me minutes ago. They're just waiting for the donuts Toshi ordered."

Shuuzo nonchalantly nodded, but inside, he was rejoicing, knowing that he still had time to prepare for his older sister's possible scolding. Just like in the past, it was always his sister, who got mad at him for getting into fights, whereas his dad would always joke around. Relieved, he decided to play along with his dad's antics, "How thoughtful, old man. But, sorry to get your hopes up. I only disciplined some brat."

"Hmm. Which color of the rainbow?"

At the term, he choked. The _fuck_.

Nonetheless, he amusedly formed a come back, "The clouds, dad."

It seemed that he did good in _dad_ language, because his dad instantly figured it out, "Oh, Haizaki, was it? The one that reminds me of you!"

So many things happened today that he couldn't even get himself to be offended. That or maybe he, himself, knew it was somewhat true. He could only roll his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, him."

Before he could stop himself, however, he slipped out, "Turns out we're more similar than I thought."

Cursing his carelessness, he weighed out alternative explanations he could tell to the now-intrigued adult. Because he had faith in his own father, who was understanding and was not the type to spread personal matters – he eventually decided to tell the truth, he had managed to discover through fists (probably the best and worst way of communication Haizaki Shougo knew.)

"His father left them. Well if you call some jerk who fucking laid his hands on his own blood and flesh, a father, that is."

As if on impulse, he hovered over the cut and the bruise – which served as payment for such personal information – and he was reminded of the pain he had received from the blow. Thinking about how strong Haizaki's hook was, he realized that it was fueled by something much more painful, "That kid had it worse."

Unlike the subject of their conversation, he had a father, who quietly listened and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, son."

Wanting to change the topic and atmosphere, Shuuzo shrugged the other's hand off and weakly glared, "The hell you're sorry about? If there's something that you apologize about, that would be you going to work on Monday. Can't you extend your sick leave or something?"

"I already feel better, Shuuzo", the other chuckled, just like he had forgotten about skipping work because he wasn't feeling well since Thursday.

"You sure?"

The grown-ass-man just childishly let out a long 'yes.'

As if he was actually the parent, the younger Nijimura nagged, "As long as you don't overwork yourself."

"Aye, captain!", the adult saluted, waiting for him to salute back.

Normally, he would've either laughed or face-palmed at such acts. Yet, this time, the old man was being extra playful. Suspicious at this kind of behavior, the teenager narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Spill it."

Just like how the man lowered his saluting hand, his sprits lowered, as he admitted.

"Your mom called."

 _And_ that was enough to shift back to the gloomy mood.

Shuuzo walked past him, not even bothering to face him, while he went on with the details, "Seiki said that she's flying to Tokyo before the month ends, and she would like to meet you."

Without missing a beat, he flatly affirmed, "Tell her I said no."

"I already said yes."

Pausing in his steps, he scoffed, " _Gee_ , thanks."

"Shuuzo..."

The tone was stern and typical of a parent, but there was an odd mixture of something a kid like him had difficulty in grasping. Was his dad sad? Worried?

Curiously, like the child that he was supposed to be, he turned around to take a peek. What he saw was that same apologetic and guilty expression his old man had every time he earned himself injuries because of his delinquent actions. It's been more than a year since his last major fight, but he recalled that this look his father had was a look that gets lost quickly once he starts teasing his son about joining gangs or _yakuzas_ , and about gangster fashion. The difference of today's version, was that it remained on his face and there were no more jokes to let it vanish.

As if such expression wasn't enough to make Shuuzo melancholic and frustrated, Ryotarou laid out his thoughts.

"I know you miss her."

 _Fuck_.

Yup, he does, damn it!

It was impossible not to. Not after witnessing Saya and Shougo earlier. Not after longing for a mother's warm embrace. Not after hoping for his mother to treat his wounds, and not to be one that indirectly causes them. Not after wishing to celebrate his own birthday with his own mother.

 _God_ – he was now clenching his teeth too hard.

Masculine arms warmly enveloped him. Again, as if that wasn't enough to threaten the fucking tears to fall, this stupid old man just had to say one last thing.

"You don't have to hold back because of me."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **T.T**

 **Thank you and stay safe, everyone!**


	23. 真: Chapter 22

**A/N:**

 **Hi everyone!**

 **How are you all? Hope you all are healthy!**

 **To all the new faves and follows, thank you and welcome to this fic :)**

 **To _nadia4245_ , lol i really enjoyed writing that scene with Niji's dad because of that line, so I'm thankful for your comment! I just love the rainbow fam and the rainbow Teikou kids!**

 **To the _guest_ who reviewed, thanks and I'm glad you like dorky Haizaki (lol). I always thought that Haizaki is similar with Kise in a lot of ways, and this includes Kise's blabbering mouth. It's just that I imagine Haizaki becoming this noisy only with people he somehow feels comfortable with (if that makes sense). Also, the difference between Haizaki and Kise is that Haizaki is just more vulgar with his words and that he has no filter for what he's saying (lol). Thus, in a way, he is more honest than Kise, who could be two-faced sometimes and has a different inner voice. But! I still love them both, so yeah~**

 **Anyway, here 'ya go! :)**

* * *

Tsumiko couldn't believe what she just saw.

Or in this case, what she didn't _see_.

How in the world did the ball pass through the second-string's defenses and fly to hands of the third-string shooter?

The answer was ironically obvious.

 _Kuroko Tetsuya_.

The very reason why she was back in the third-string gym, watching the match between the third-string and the second-string with Coach Sanada, the captain, and the vice-captain.

It's been three months since Akashi had discussed about Kuroko's potential to be the sixth man, and few months more than that since she, as a coach-in-training, had witnessed Kuroko play. But to say that she was surprised, was an understatement.

She has always thought that he was better at assisting than scoring – heck, she couldn't remember a time he had actually made a basket, not even a simple lay-up. Moreover, she was aware of Kuroko's low presence, but even if she had spent some time with him, it never crossed her mind that this trait of his could be used in basketball.

Turning to the guy at her far left, she listened to his explanation about this so-called 'Misdirection'; and was left amazed at how someone her age managed to discover such talent in just a single meeting, and was confident enough to believe in the teal-haired boy. Even the third-string coach, Coach Matsuoka didn't realize such potential.

Before she could ask Akashi more, the adult next to her, Coach Sanada, instructed her to return to the first-string gym and continue supervising the practice. This is because Coach Shirogane was not present; and the rest of the coaches, Coach Matsuoka and Coach Matsuyuki of the third and second string, respectively, were occupied with the game. With this, she was left hanging. Nevertheless, she excused herself and went back to the first-string gym.

Upon her arrival, Aomine instantly stopped in his drills and jogged towards her, "How was it? Did Tetsu already win?"

She shook her head, "The match is not over yet."

"What? You're a coach, so why 're you back now? Thought you guys went to test Tetsu or somethin'?"

"Uh, well, I had to oversee the training...as a coach", she fumbled, suddenly feeling uncertain of herself. Oddly defensive, she further tried to make her point, "E-especially since majority of the managers, including Momoi-chan, are now in the second-string gym to handle the members, who weren't playing in the ongoing match."

"Ah, whatever. Tetsu's gonna win, for sure"

Contrary to her, the effortless curve of his lips upwards indicated his confidence. Again, another one who believed in Kuroko.

"Why do you say so?"

Unlike the first-year point guard's detailed elucidation, the first-year power forward simply shrugged, "My gut says so."

That statement reminded her of his childhood friend's 'woman intuition', and she couldn't help but relax and smile at the retreating back of the carefree boy her age.

* * *

Momoi liked someone.

It was that boy, who gave her a winning popsicle stick.

Since he remained a mystery, she eventually lost interest. So imagine her shock when said mysterious person popped from _nowhere_ and introduced himself as _the_ Kuroko Tetsuya she was tasked to look for.

The very reason why she was in the third-string gym.

The very person Dai-chan told her about.

But what caught her even more surprised was the fact that she didn't feel the same giddy feeling she had when she first encountered him. _Weird_.

Maybe it was because she thought that she was being shallow with the whole popsicle thing and that he just seemed to be... _plain_. Just how good was he exactly to be promoted immediately to the first-string?

At the first-string gym, he was properly welcomed. While the guys formally made themselves known – as if anyone in Teikou didn't know the infamous front-liners of the basketball team – she pulled the shorter girl to a corner and shared the revelation.

"Oh my God. Seriously?", her white-haired friend reacted in hushed whispers.

Pink head nodded.

Trying their best to be subtle, the young coach absentmindedly flipped the papers on her clipboard, which contained the profiles of the members, as she asked, "Then, what do you think of him now?"

"I don't know", Momoi answered, while she randomly pointed at a part of a profile.

' _Birthdate: December 20'_

At the written information near her fingertip, the manager got distracted a bit. Curious as to who was going to celebrate his birthday weeks from now, pink eyes moved to the upper portion of the paper.

' _Akashi Seijuurou'_

It seemed like the girl next to her did the same, because silver head tilted a little to the side, while eyeing the date, as if she was thinking about something.

Seeing her friend wonder about something related to their vice-captain, Momoi couldn't help but remember that she still has the candid photo of the two, she had taken at the beginning of summer. After recalling that Tsumiko had already confirmed that she doesn't like Akashi in _that_ manner, Momoi filed the memory of the photo away.

Before she could even ask the other what she was thinking about, dark orbs soon met hers.

This prompted the pinkette to go back to the actual subject of their chat, "Uh, though he seems like a good person, I don't think I like him _that_ way."

Yup, she would like to be friends with Kuroko for now.

It's not like she's in a rush to have a crush and a potential boyfriend. Replaying in her mind the moments her friend got flustered and confused over their captain, she realized again that being in love causes one to overthink. Besides, as a manager of the basketball club, she still has the district's top ten informal competition to think about.

* * *

Kuroko couldn't believe he was now a member of the first-string.

It was the middle of spring when he stood in this gym – only to be placed in the third-string. Now at the end of fall, he was standing in the same gym – being welcomed by the Nationals champions, including the first-years, who became instant members of the first-string. The third-string's former coach-in-training also congratulated him, and told him how excited and glad she was to work with him again. Following this, the rest of the first-stringers greeted him, after they had recovered from the shock brought by his low presence.

"Yo~"

That short greeting caused heads to turn towards the entrance. Kuroko recognized the teen as Haizaki Shougo, another first-year, who got accepted in the first-string straight away.

"You're late, Haizaki", Akashi called the latecomer out.

The gray-haired boy just closed his eyes and shrugged, "Yeah, yeah, I'll be more prompt next time."

Opening his eyes, he walked past the redhead –

"Ouch"

– ultimately bumping against no one, but Kuroko.

"Excuse me", he softly said, then waited until the other had noticed his presence.

"What the–?! Who the fuck are you?!"

Used to such reactions, he politely replied, "I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. I joined the first-string today. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Haizaki scanned him and the shorter boy saw how the former's expression screamed, _'Are you fucking kidding me?! A kid like you?!'_

Impressed at how expressive the other's face was, he didn't even get offended at the other's thoughts, he had somehow read.

A large hand then clutched the taller boy's left shoulder, "Yo Haizaki~ You show up late and you greet our new member like that, ha?", causing the owner of the poor shoulder to recover from his daze.

The freshman tried to get himself off from the clutches of the captain, "Ah! Damn you Niji – ah!", only to feel his shoulder get slowly crushed by the the latter.

"Senpai!"

The young coach, who was initially with their manager at one corner, rushed towards the duo then placed a hand over the larger hand, "That's enough."

Two pairs of dark lenses met for a moment, before the second-year retracted his hand. While the meaningful look they had shared had been very brief and subtle, baby blue eyes had caught that.

"See? That's right. Fucking listen to miss tiny-san over here, _Nijimura_ ~"

"Haizaki-san!"

Observing the still-bickering trio, Kuroko voiced out, "Those three seem to be really close."

The ruby-haired boy at his right glanced at him, "You think so?"

"Am I wrong?"

Skylike irises turned to meet scarlet ones, but the latter remained fixed at the topic of their conversation.

"Not really. They did become a little closer for the past weeks. Something interesting might have happened."

"What could that be, Akashi-kun?"

Akashi's usual knowing eyes were replaced by seemingly curious ones, as he looked at him for a moment then went back to the group, "Who knows? Only the three of them knows."

There was an unreadable expression on the vice-captain's face, but it only lasted for some time, since he turned towards him, with an amused smile, "Anyway, you truly are observant, Kuroko."

Before he could even respond, though, Coach Sanada finally arrived and announced, "Alright, we're starting practice."

With that, Kuroko felt thrilled – not exactly knowing that he was going to puke rainbows in the middle of his first ever first-string training.

* * *

Nijimura dislikes holding back.

With that he means, he does not go easy on anything.

Going straight for the drive, he quickly broke through Nambara Junior High's defense. He then passed the ball to their green-haired shooter, who made a three right away.

While he celebrated, he heard Coach Sanada shout, "Idiot! Have you forgotten the restriction? You can't go all out today!"

Ah, right.

 _Whoops_.

In this top ten informal competition, Teikou imposed a rule that only first-years were allowed to play. For his case, he simply subbed in for Kuroko – that poor kid, who was supposedly the sub for Haizaki – that damn kid.

Once the newbie's nosebleed stopped, the captain was back to the bench. He sat beside the first-year coach, whose brows were slightly furrowed, as she focused in writing down notes. _Cute._

Catching himself, he shook his thoughts off, then shifted his attention back to the game, and sweat-dropped at the image of an aqua-head being crushed by the purple giant, because of a mistake.

In the end, Teikou still won, though, Coach Sanada didn't appear to be that satisfied. During lunch break, while the young coach and the others were still eating lunch, the older coach talked to him about their newest member.

"He will be demoted."

Although Nijimura, himself, found the decision to be harsh, he couldn't help in thinking that this might be better for the kid, who had trouble keeping up with their rigorous training and with the match earlier. His agreement and reasoning, however, got stuck in his throat when a panicked, _"Hey! Wait a second!"_ , interrupted behind the coach.

"How 'bout Irosuzuka? She's with Tetsu and the others right now. Shouldn't you discuss this with her too? I'm hella sure she won't throw Tetsu away", Aomine pointed out.

The adult man sighed, "There's no need. She already jotted down observations of the game, as per instructed."

The tan kid pleaded the coach for one more chance to observe Kuroko, during the afternoon match. The captain expected the discussion to end when the coach said so. He didn't expect the best among the first-years to ask to be demoted, as well, if things don't work out in the next game. _The hell_.

"Aomine – you...Are you stupid?"

After flicking his _kouhai's_ forehead, he proceeded to give a lecture about negotiation, "...if you want to strike a bargain, you should threaten to leave instead."

Despite Aomine not having basis for his confidence in his friend, the adult eventually listened to Aomine's appeal.

Nijimura couldn't fully understand what the brat said. It was something about that baby blue magician saving _them_.

The dark-haired teen opted to think about that next time. For now, another brat needed some ass-whooping.

The travel to the nearby arcade did not take too long. It was just that he had to drag a beaten-up teen on the way back, – which made them arrive at the arena a little later than intended, but still early enough for the beaten-up teen to be a starting player for the afternoon match. While it is true that he doesn't pull his punches, it didn't mean that the brat couldn't play because of some minor bruises.

 _Okay_. Maybe, he did hold back a little.

Because if he didn't, the small forward would've been knocked out and therefore, unable to play. If that happened, he might get his own ass whooped by the coach; and he might receive not just a sigh and a look, but also a scolding glare from the young coach.

Somehow after their visit to the Haizaki residence almost a month ago, the two of them had a mutual understanding that they wouldn't tell anyone about what they had learned. Oddly, though, the three of them developed some kind of dynamics – wherein the ash-head would do something stupid, then he would discipline him (the hard way), then the girl would scold him for being too much, and such.

Mentally chuckling at their own moronic actions, he watched as the gray idiot grumbled, while she tended to his injuries.

This scene reminded him of Haizaki asking him what's holding him back.

Similarly, despite the difference in context, his father told him not to hold back.

And well, he did.

He finally agreed to meet his mom, and yet, a week before her supposed arrival during the last week of November, she had canceled her flight, and postponed it 'til the December holidays.

His father told him not to hold back.

Again, he did.

He still waited eagerly for the holidays, while doing his duties as a captain of the basketball team – leading them to victory in their district's top ten informal competition; and while being a responsible student by doing his best during the second semester's final exams.

He still looked forward to face his mom, even if at the end of the exams in December, his father collapsed once again, and was brought to the hospital.


	24. 真: Chapter 23

_"Okay, that's good, honey. You can simply lift it a little from the ground, but I personally prefer that you first raise your leg to a 45 degree angle, before reaching to the side."_

 _"Like this?"_

 _"Just bend it a little more."_

 _"This?"_

 _"Wait, watch me, I'll do it again."_

 _Dark eyes watched as the older woman started what was called as a balancé, or also known as a 'waltz' in ballet. Silver bun bounced a little, as the woman gracefully raised her back leg to a bend, "Look, you have to do this first, get it?", before extending it and stepping the foot to the side. Next, her other foot went behind the first foot, then lifted onto its ball, replaced the weight from the ball of the first foot to repeat the moves on the other side. When the demonstration was over, the younger girl saw from the mirror the questioning expression her ballet teacher has, "Tsu-chan?"_

 _"Mom...", the six-year old's gaze fell from her teacher slash mother, who has now turned around, to the wooden floor of the studio; then continued after seconds of hesitation, "C-can this be a rest day? We're here for a vacation, right?"_

 _She suddenly regretted her words, but when she recalled the things her mom's younger brother had mentioned about this city, called Los Angeles, she became braver, "And I want to go with uncle and Yuuta-niichan. I want to see this place uncle told us about...um, S-Staples?", unsure if she had pronounced the name correctly in English._

 _"We'll follow them in the afternoon, and watch the basketball game with them, too. For now, you have to finish your ballet lessons. And yes, this is a vacation, but again, you have to practice everyday, if you want to be a ballerina..."_

 _There was a pause, before the former professional ballerina resumed ,"...like me."_

 _Tsumiko soon found her mother poised down in front of her, "Tsu-chan, you want to be a ballerina, right?"_

 _Her mind wandered to the difficulty of the ballet steps, the strict diet, the outfits, the lifestyle of ballet dancers she had read about before, and most importantly, her mom's past injuries – causing her to admit both to herself and to her mom, "I- I don't think I like to, anymore."_

 _"Why is that?"_

 _"Y-you got hurt because of ballet, mom. S-so, I'm scared", she stuttered, as she fiddled with her leotard, "Also, ballet is really hard. And the clothes are itchy", waiting for a scolding. What she received, though, was delicate fingers on her sides, followed by a gentle and playful tone, "Where? Where does it itch? Here? Or here?"_

 _Eventually, the room became filled with hearty giggles of a child, "M-mom! That tickles! Please!"_

 _Once the adorable sounds died down, Eri guided her daughter to sit back up. Seated across the girl, she combed the wavy strands of hair – which were snow-like like her own – that got loose from the girl's now-messy bun, "You see, honey, I became a ballerina because a friend of mine started ballet classes, and I wanted to try it too. Your gran-gran didn't like it at first, even if I cried and cried. So, I asked my friend to teach me the basics. I showed it to your gran-gran, and because I did really well, she enrolled me to a ballet class."_

 _"Gran-gran did?"_

 _"Yes, so if you want something, you have to work for it. Also, only you, yourself, know what you truly want. I won't force you to become someone you don't wish to be. I'll always be proud of you, my baby."_

 _Eri hoped that her young daughter had understood her. As doe-like eyes stared up at her happily, she couldn't help but caress her baby girl's chubby cheeks, "Now tell me, what do you want to do?"_

 _Tsumiko hummed, until her face brightened up, "Grandmother said that she'll start teaching me ikebana when we go back to Kyoto."_

 _"Do you really want that? Because if not, I can ask your dad to talk to your grandmother."_

 _She shook her head, "It's okay, mom. I'm curious about it", then dreamily thought about her grandmother's flower garden, and beamed, "And the flowers are really, really pretty!"_

 _"Alrighty. Just tell me, if you want to learn more, even if it's not ballet. Your mom's a really great dancer, you know!", her mom beamed back, before an idea popped up, "Oh! I'll teach you another dance. It's also called waltz, but it's slightly different than the ballet waltz. Waltz is a social dance, which means you dance it with a partner, and that it is usually done in parties and such. Next week, at your uncle's wedding, he will be dancing waltz with your aunt. At parties, guests could also dance, so you should always be prepared to dance, okay?"_

 _True enough, the newlywed performed waltz, but soon after, they started a dance, that didn't seem to look like waltz. Curious, Tsumiko asked her mother, to which she replied, "Oh, what they're doing is known as a 'slow dance.' It's really easy and a common social dance. You can learn it by just watching them. "_

 _From the perspective of a six-year-old, the couple were simply swaying to the beat, while talking to each other. Just like its name, it really was a slow dance – boring and ordinary. The waltz, although being also slow, was more exciting. This was why she couldn't grasp the adults around her watching the couple in glee and in awe._

...

The twelve-year-old Tsumiko figured out that due to the simplicity of the steps and the close proximity between the dance partners, there was both a chance and a need – respectively – to make small talks during slow dance. She had finally understood the appeal of a slow dance.

It was romantic.

But, only with the right partner, she reckoned, as an afterthought.

Tsumiko then thanked Mitsui, the grandson of Chairman Kobayashi and her slow dance partner a few moments ago, who ushered her back to the table. Her mom, Eri, was conversing with some female adults at another table; her dad, Hiroshi ,was having a drink with some businessmen; and her brother, Yuuta, was dancing with a teenage girl, she saw for the first time – leaving her alone at their table. Mitsui invited her to join their table, where three other kids around their age sat, but she felt shy and awkward. Hence, she politely declined, using the excuse of resting her feet and replying to a text. Suddenly, he jokingly asked if it was from the Teikou basketball team captain, but since she truly didn't receive any message, she impulsively said yes; and he soon left.

With the mention of a certain raven-haired second-year, she was reminded of 'the right partner' in dancing; and she could only wish he was present in this party, so they could get some fresh air somewhere, just like that time at Chairman Kobayashi's birthday celebration.

The invitation to this party was sent to their house weeks ago, and it clearly stated that it was a thanksgiving party by the Akashi group for its successful acquisition of an international company that specializes in manufacturing electronic equipment and systems for solar power, telecommunications, and such. According to the card, the party was exclusive for the 'close family and friends' of the Akashi group – which, in business language, translates into longtime partners and valuable shareholders.

So, here she was for the first time, trying to guess how many rooms do this mansion, which could pass as a hotel, has. As if the main building or the ancestral house of the Akashi group was not grand enough, this residential complex or estate in Tokyo even has a separate quarters for the servants and staff, a huge lawn and garden, a swimming pool, and a horse stable – with the latter two being things she had only heard about from her parents, and had not yet been confirmed with her own eyes, because she didn't have time to explore, since they went directly to the venue of the party or the lobby of the main house. She recalled visiting the residence of the Akashis in Kyoto, during the wake of the redhead's mother. Although, she only spent few minutes there and couldn't exactly remember the details of the place, she was sure it was not as vast as this.

For the third time that night, she surveyed the main lobby again – taking in the large wooden doors at the entrance; the chandelier high in the ceiling; the expensive paintings hung on the high walls; the two staircases leading to the second floor, where huge portraits of adult men could be seen, and she instantly felt small under the painted eyes of the past generations of Akashis. Though none of them had crimson hair and eyes, she could see their resemblance with a certain redhead in the similar firm gaze they all possessed.

Feeling like a fool, she lowered her head at the portraits – suddenly finding it hard to believe she was classmates and club-mates with their descendant, who was actually kind and humble; and now that she though about it, Akashi Seijuurou was never flashy nor extravagant.

As the gears in her head worked to absorb such fact, dark eyes automatically scanned the hall to find the boy.

Not soon after, she caught red.

Her lenses traveled from his styled scarlet hair to his white suit with black bow-tie – still impressed at how he rocked the look, despite her previously complimenting him earlier, when he had formally greeted her family. Polite as ever, he returned the compliment at her own outfit – a raspberry red off-shoulder long-sleeved A-line dress that reached mid-calf. Currently, she could see how he courteously conversed with a black-haired girl, and other adult women at a table; and she could only let out an amused smile at the charmed expressions of the people around him.

This amusement, however, did not last long, when she remembered what day it was today.

With that thought, she got up from her seat and walked towards the dessert area, only to find herself saddened at the sight of pieces of mini cakes in three kinds: matcha, dark chocolate, and berries – none of which could be a candidate cake for the occasion.

And by occasion, she did not mean the thanksgiving party. She meant Akashi Seijuurou's birthday.

 _December 20._

Tsumiko recalled randomly reading that exact date in the members' profiles with Momoi during Kuroko's first day at practice. It was the same date written on the invitation card her family had received days before, so she couldn't help but wonder, that time, if mentioned thanksgiving party also included a birthday celebration for the Akashi heir.

She was supposed to ask any of her family members if they knew about his birthday, but the following weeks got too busy – due to the training for the top ten informal competition, the competition itself, the preparation for the second semester's exams, and the actual exams – that she had forgotten about it. It was only when she saw their driver showing the invitation card to the guards at the gate of the Akashi complex, that she remembered. As they entered the complex, however, her parents started telling Tsumiko and Yuuta about the place, making her deduce that they were unaware of what today was.

Hesitantly, she tried to wish him a happy birthday, as soon as they arrived at the party, but when _the_ Akashi Masaomi appeared behind him to greet her family, her words got stuck.

A voice in her head pushed her to stop in her attempt, because of the possibility of his birthday being a sensitive topic. Such possibility kept on increasing, as the party went on, without any mention about the heir's birthday.

Another voice in her head was scolding her for being a bad friend by not greeting him properly, causing her to unintentionally glare at the innocent mini cakes.

"Take the matcha one."

A masculine voice, which was definitely outside her head, interrupted the voices in her head.

Whipping her head to her right, she almost jumped away, when she was met with red.

"A-akashi-san!"

"It's the least sweet amongst the three", the boy casually justified his suggestion.

After recovering from her shock and registering what he meant, she didn't tell him the real reason why she was at the dessert area, "Oh, uh, thank you, but I just realized that I already had enough sweets for tonight."

Not giving him time to speak, she rambled, "A-anyway, I must be bothering you. Are you here to take some?", shifting the topic, while she tried to tease him by gesturing at the table he was previously at, "Oh! For the young lady at that table?"

At the slight quirk of his brows, though, she immediately regretted it, as the implication of her words dawned on her. _Great_. Now, he probably thinks she's being a creep, who's watching his every move.

As if that wasn't shameful enough, he comfortably replied, "Mao. She's a relative."

' _Oh my God!'_ , she mentally freaked out at her own ignorance.

Too embarrassed, she just stared dumbly at him. Fortunately, he took the initiative and resumed the conversation. Unfortunately, he teased her back – successfully and not with a _relative_ of hers.

"What about you? That was a great dance you did with Mitsui-san, earlier."

Trying to be as relaxed as possible, she dodged, "Ah, Akashi-san. It was a simple slow dance. Anyone can probably do it."

"Indeed. However, unlike Mitsui-san, your posture, rhythm or how you stay tune with the music are not just anything that anyone could possess. Instead, these are indications of a person, who has experience in dance – something unsurprising for a daughter of a former professional ballerina."

There were three things his statement suggests: first was the vice-captain being attentive to details, as always; second was the _shogi_ player analyzing their dance; third was her friend watching her. The last one made her more conscious than ever.

She sheepishly reasoned out, "Maybe, that's because I had ballet lessons."

" _Had_ ", he emphasized.

"It's just as I had speculated. A ballet dancer has a strict diet and schedule to follow, and must train hard every single day, just like an athlete. However, you are currently someone, who formulates training regimes for junior high school basketball players. It makes me wonder why you defied what was expected of you to do, and didn't follow the steps of your mother."

"Oh, that", she nodded, recalling all the times she and her mom had received such questions before. Finally understanding why he was probably telling her his observations, she shared, to appease his curiosity, "Well, it was when I was around six. I decided to tell my mom that I realized I didn't want to be a ballet dancer anymore, so we stopped with the daily ballet lessons."

"That was it? Wouldn't stopping what you have been doing every day be considered as a waste of time, resources, effort and most importantly, talent?"

Waltz music started playing around the hall, yet she could clearly hear the disbelief and disapproval in his tone. Wavy white locks above exposed shoulders swayed, as she shook her head, "Ah, I didn't really think of myself as naturally gifted or talented in ballet, anyway."

To momentarily distract herself from his piercing gaze, she glanced at the couples dancing at the center, before returning his hardened expression with a softer one, "Also, my mom didn't exactly stop teaching me things related to dance, that could be useful for me. She's still always nagging me about my posture, and sometimes, she teaches me some other dances, like waltz."

In response, he simply blinked at her. Thus, she couldn't help but mentally replay what she just said, to find if there was something stupid or illogical, she – a foolish child– had uttered, that could be impossible to digest by an intelligent creature, like the top student of their batch.

A few moments later, he eventually spoke, "Very well, then. Please do enjoy the rest of the evening, Irosuzuka", and formally excused himself.

Akashi was difficult to read.

That was a given.

Somehow, though, she noticed the coldness emitting from his retreating back. Such mood, coupled with the guilt, from her failure to give him her birthday wishes, coming back, troubled her. Wanting to be a good friend, she reached out to his left sleeve – her fingers grazing his wrist, "Wait, Akashi-san!"

When he turned a little to the side, she took it as a cue to release his sleeve, and to curve her lips up.

"Happy birthday."

Her attention was solely on the now-thirteen-year-old boy, that she didn't miss how his eyes very briefly widened a fraction at her words, before he faced her fully. Again, he had an unreadable expression, causing her to realize her rudeness, "Uh, I'm really sorry, but I don't have any gift for you, now. But, I can give it at prac–"

"Waltz", he cut her off, and she could hear the the 3/4-beat music still playing at the background.

"Eh?"

Typical of a gentleman, he held out his right hand, "Will you dance with me?"

* * *

' _The main characteristic of the Waltz is its rise and fall action, that goes along with the 3/4 timing of the music'_ , Tsumiko inwardly reviewed, as her right hand daintily held Akashi's left hand, while her left hand lightly rested on Akashi's shoulder. With his right hand on the small of her back, he led her by starting with his left foot, to execute a forward half box, followed by a backward half box. She followed him by performing the opposite, keeping the beat. After doing the basic box step, her partner led her to do some rotations. They started dancing towards the end of the song, so they only got to dance for less than a minute, but Tsumiko felt tired. How could she not – when Akashi started doing more advanced combinations, forcing her to follow and learn beyond the basics on the spot.

As soon as they finished, Akashi bowed to the now-applauding audience. With their hands still interlocked, Tsumiko – baffled both by the dance and by the sudden attention – followed suit and did a curtsy, just like how she was taught by her mother, who was currently sending her a thumbs up. Seeing her mom proud brought a huge smile on her face.

"I am correct, as it should be. You do have talent. What a waste."

While twisting to her right, her delighted look transformed into a dumbfounded one, as a hunch formed in her brain, "Akashi-san, is this the reason why we danced? To prove you right?"

Slender fingers slipped away from hers, and motioned towards the direction of her table. Recognizing his mannerly offer to guide her back to her table, she began walking. With him at her side, he answered, "There is no need to pro–", only to be interrupted by the playing of a new song, succeeded by the cheers of the guests.

The two of them halted in their steps, and looked around. They were still somewhere at the middle of the hall, and she could see the encouraging looks of the people, including her mom's. Some couples soon joined them in the middle to dance.

Opal irises met ruby ones, sharing an agreement between them.

Hearing the slow music, they automatically went into the same position they had earlier, during the waltz. Unlike the more erect posture in waltz, Tsumiko allowed herself to relax a little bit.

This was a slow dance, after all.

Her dance partner started leading her, as he picked up where they left off, "As I was saying, there is no need to prove an already-established fact, Irosuzuka."

His answer wan't that clear, but sensing a hint of humor in his tone, she played along, "Should I give up being a coach, then, and put on my ballet shoes?"

"That's not necessary. It wouldn't be a wise move to waste any more of your talents, especially not when you have made significant contributions to our team and its growing victories."

It was spoken like a true son of a businessman. However, from this proximity, she could clearly see his orbs, and how genuine they appeared, when he voiced out such remarks. Glad to hear positive feedback about her coach duties, and flattered at the compliments, her gaze dropped to his bow-tie, carefully biting back a smile. Simultaneously, her left hand momentarily lifted off his shoulder, to tuck silver tresses behind her ear. Immediately after she placed her hand back on his shoulder, he began leading her to move in different directions. Tilting her head up a little to meet his gaze again, she braced herself for steps that were a notch higher than what she did with Mitsui, earlier.

Although she was still convinced that they danced to prove him right about her wasted talent in dance, she went along with him, as she playfully restated her concern, "Hmm, if proving yourself right was not the reason for the dance, then what could it be?"

She felt a light pressure on her back, as he guided her to change direction.

He stepped forward,

"It is a gift."

And on impulse, she stepped backward.

"I truly appreciate it, Irosuzuka."

.

.

.

' _A gift'_ , she repeated inside her head, feeling warm at the realization of him considering the dance as her gift for his birthday.

Totally not expecting such answer, along with the genuine curl of his lips, she missed a step backward; and he almost stomped on her foot. Luckily, the athlete's reflexes were quick, so he paused midway and tightened his hold on her, to keep their balance. Unluckily _or_ luckily – she wasn't sure anymore – the distance between them became shorter, with their faces few inches apart. From this view, she could see his features well, finding him to be really good-looking (which was already an established fact, she reminded herself). However, such features didn't give away any of his emotions.

Before she could even decipher his current expression, though, he started moving sideways again. This woke her up from her daze, and she remembered she hasn't properly acknowledged his gratitude yet.

Despite her heated cheeks and shy smile, she managed to return his sincerity with her own, "You're welcome."

As if in response, Akashi led her to a twirl.

Red dress billowed, as the white-haired girl spun around.

White suit remained neat, as the red-haired boy anchored the turn.

The rest of the dance was then spent in silence, with only the song playing in the background. Meanwhile, in Tsumiko's perspective, she could also hear her own rising heartbeat, as ruby lenses stayed fixed at hers. This slow dance, unlike the waltz they previously performed, allowed and stimulated eye contact, due to its less complex nature. Thus, she has no choice but to focus on her partner – she justified to herself. Even after repeating such logic to herself, though, her heart still won't stop racing.

The young coach analyzed by replaying the things he had told her; and she blamed her current state on his natural charm and his way with words, which attracted young and older women, as per her previous observations. While keeping up with his movements and being aware of her footwork, she further re-winded back to all the times they spent together – in class, in practices, in training camp, in games, in tournaments, in meetings, in _shogi_ matches, in lunchtimes, in parties – and she couldn't stop herself from thinking how attractive and amazing Akashi Seijuurou is.

As if such findings didn't make her heart flutter enough, she realized that during most of her memories with the redhead, a certain dark-haired teen was almost always present.

She likes Nijimura – there's no doubt about it.

Going back to the memory of her aunt and uncle dancing during their wedding, she saw how dance could put a person with his or her right partner in their own bubble; and she has imagined Nijimura being 'the right partner' for her.

The noises of the people in the party, however, gradually filled her ears – only when the music faded out, and when she felt the instant chill at the place on her back, where a warm hand once rested.

The dance was over, and even after joining her family back in their table, her heart was still beating fast. This made her come up with a judgment of the dance.

It was _romantic_.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hmm, looks like our girl has a new crush ;) What do you guys think about it?**

 **Anyway, thank you to all the follows and faves, and I pray that you're all okay~ Also, feel free to talk to me about this fic, or KNB in general, or something, if that could help ease your anxieties about this health crisis we're all facing now. I'll try my best to reply! Stay safe :)**


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